Orthodontic Procedures

Acid etch

A procedure where a weak acid smeared on your teeth to ready your teeth for brackets. The acid etch helps your brackets stay on better.

Banding

the process of cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth

Bonding

the process of attaching brackets to your teeth using a special safe glue

Cephalometric X-Rays

An x-ray of the head that shows whether your teeth are aligned properly, and whether they are growing properly.

The Consultation

A meeting with your orthodontist where he discusses your treatment plan

Debanding

the removal of cemented orthodontic bands.

Debonding

The removal of the brackets from your teeth

Extraoral photograph

facial photos.

Impressions

The first step in making a model of your teeth. You bite into a container filled with algenate, and the algenate hardens to produce a mold of your teeth.

Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic treatment usually done when you are 6-8. The objective of interceptive orthodontic treatment is to expand your palate and make other corrections, so that your later orthodontic treatment goes quicker and is less painful.

Ligation

A process where an archwire is attached to the brackets on your teeth.

Ligating

An adjective used to describe components used to attach archwires to brackets. For example a ligating module is a small plastic piece that goes over the brackets to hold in your archwires.

Panoramic x-ray

An x-ray taken by a machine that rotates around your head to give the orthodontist a picture of your teeth, jaws and other important information.

The records appointment

One of the initial appointments with your orthodontist. The orthodontist or his/her assistant takes pictures of you, x-rays, and impressions so that they can figure out what treatment needs to be done.

Tightening your braces

A process which occurs every 3-6 weeks when you have braces. You go into the orthodontist's office and the orthodontist's assistant either makes adjustments to the wires in your braces, or changes the wires.

Wax bite

A procedure to measure how well your teeth come together. You bite a sheet of wax and leave bitemark in the wax. The orthodontist looks at the bitemarks to see how well your teeth are aligned.