Orthodontic Dictionary
Understanding Your Treatment
Dr. Kenneth Grabowski Orthodontics provides an orthodontic dictionary and a variety of other resources to help educate patients about treatment options.
The terms are broken down into Parts of Braces and Orthodontic Treatments categories.
Parts of Braces
Anything Dr. Grabowski attaches to your teeth which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw.
The metal wire that acts as a track to guide your teeth along as they move. It is changed periodically throughout treatment as your teeth move to their new positions.
A metal ring that is cemented to your tooth, going completely around it.
The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place.
A metal or ceramic part cemented ( or bonded) to your tooth that holds your archwire in place.
A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open or hold space between your teeth.
A small rubber band that is hooked between different points on your appliance to help with bite correction.
The tiny band that fits around your bracket. Ties come in a variety of colors.
An external wire apparatus which uses a facebow to gently guide the growth of your face and jaw by moving your teeth into proper position. The force is applied to the facebow by a spring-loaded neck strap or head strap. The straps have a safety release that disconnects if the facebow is pulled or snagged.
A round, hollow attachment on your back bands. The inner bow of your headgear fits into it.
A welded or removable arm to which elastics are attached.
A thin wire is placed around the bracket.
A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities.
A device that makes your upper jaw wider. More information about palatal expanders is detailed in the braces section of this website.
An appliance that is worn after your braces are removed. A retainer attaches to your upper and/or lower teeth to hold them in place. Some retainers are removable, while others are bonded to the tongue-side of several teeth.
A small rubber ring or metal spring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached.
Wax is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips.
Orthodontic Prodcedures
The process of fitting and cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth.
The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using special orthodontic cement.
An x-ray of your head which shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth.
A meeting with our treatment coordinator to discuss a treatment plan.
The process of removing cemented orthodontic appliances from your teeth.
The process of taking a model of your teeth by biting into a soft material that hardens into a mold of your teeth. Dr. Grabowski will use these impressions to prepare your treatment plan.
An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign® straightens your teeth with a series of clear custom-molded aligners. This treatment technique can correct some, but not all, orthodontic problems.
An x-ray that rotates around your head to take pictures of your teeth, jaw, and other facial areas.
Interested in learning more? Contact Grabowski Orthodontics today with questions or request an appointment!