A
| Acid Etch |
The procedure of weak acid being smeared on the teeth to make them ready for brackets and to help the brackets stay on better |
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Appliance |
Any item that is attached to the teeth by the orthodontist to move the teeth or change the shape of the jaw |
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Archform |
The shape of the dental arch |
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Arch Wire |
A metal wire attached to your brackets to move the teeth |
B
| Band |
A metal ring placed on the teeth to hold parts of the braces |
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Banding |
The process of cementing bands to the teeth |
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Bonding |
The process of attaching brackets to the teeth using a special glue |
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Bracket |
A metal or ceramic part that is glued onto a tooth and serves as a means of fastening the arch wire |
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Breakaway |
A small plastic piece with an internal summer used to provide force on a facebow |
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Buccal Tube |
A small metal part that is welded to the outside of a molar bank and contains a slot to hold archwires, lip bumpers and facebows |
C
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Cephalometric |
A head x-ray that shows if the teeth are aligned properly and if they are growing correctly |
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Closed Bite |
The bite that occurs when upper teeth cover lower teeth during the biting process |
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Consultation |
A meeting with the orthodontist to discuss the treatment plan |
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Cross Bite |
The bite that occurs when some of the upper teeth are inside the lower teeth during the biting process |
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Crowding |
A problem that results from having too many teeth in too small a space |
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Crown Angulation |
The tooth movement where the root of the tooth is tipped forward or backward to correct the angle of the crown |
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Crown Inclination |
The tooth movement where the root of the tooth is tipped toward the cheeks, lips or toward the palate of the mouth |
D
| Debanding |
The removal of cemented orthodontic bands |
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Debonding |
The removal of the brackets from the teeth |
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Deep Bite |
An excessive overbite |
F
| Facebow and Headgear |
A wire apparatus used to move uppers molars back to make room for crowded front teeth. Headgear is the part of the total apparatus |
I
|
Impressions |
The process of making a mold of the teeth; bite impression is taken in a container filled with a substance that hardens to produce a mold of the teeth |
Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment |
A process usually performed when a child is 6-8 years of age to expand the palate and make other necessary corrections; helps make future orthodontic treatment go much quicker and less painful |
Interproximal Stripping |
The reduction of the enamel on the tooth to create space for crowded teeth |
L
|
Ligating |
The components used to attached archwires to brackets |
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Ligating Module |
A small plastic piece that is used to hold the arch wires in the brackets on the teeth |
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Ligation |
The process where an arch wire is attached to the brackets on the teeth |
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Lip Bumper |
A piece used to push the molars on the lower jaw back to create more space for other teeth |
M
| Malocclusion |
A misalignment of the upper and lower teeth; also
known as "bad bite" |
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Mouthguard |
A removable appliance used to protect teeth from injury during athletic activities |
N
| Neck Pad |
A device used in conjunction with the facebow |
O
|
Orthodontic Chain |
A stretchable plastic chain used to hold arch wires into brackets |
P
|
Palatal Expander |
A device used to make the jaw wider |
R
|
Records Appointment |
An initial appointment to determine what treatment needs to be done; x-rays, pictures of the individual and impressions are usually performed |
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Retainer |
A piece used while sleeping after braces are removed to ensure that none of the teeth move while the jaw hardens |
S
|
Seperator |
A plastic or metal part that is used to create space between the teeth for bands |
T
|
Tightening the Braces |
The process that usually occurs every 3-6 weeks - adjustments are made to the wires in the braces or the wires are changed |
W
|
Wax |
A material used to prevent the braces from irritating the lips |
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Wax Bite |
The process of biting on a sheet of wax to determine how well one's teeth come together |