Braces Explained by Rancho Orthodontics

Braces aren't easy to care for, and it's pretty common for us to get calls from patients who've had pieces of their braces break or fall out. The problem is, they often don't know which parts of their braces broke, or what the names of those pieces are. This can be important information when trying to decide whether a patient needs to come in ASAP, or if it can wait a few days.

So, our Rancho Cucamonga orthodontics team wanted to quickly run down the different parts that make up a set of braces, and let you know what each of those parts does!

The Six Critical Components in Orthodontics

1 - Archwires

These are the wires that run between teeth in a set of braces. If an archwire breaks, that definitely needs to be taken care of promptly! Not only will it significantly reduce the effectiveness of the braces, but it's probably left some metal behind which could cut the lips or gums.

2 - Brackets

Brackets are the most visible metal part of the braces, with a set of brackets adhered to every tooth. These are very unlikely to come loose without significant trauma or damage, like physical impact.

3 - O-Rings

The o-rings are the colored elastic ties which bind the arch wires to the brackets. Losing an o-ring every now and then is common, and not a big deal. It needs to be fixed but doesn't warrant an emergency call.

4 - Molar Bands

These are exactly what they sound like - bands which wrap around the patient's molars (rear teeth) and anchor the braces. They are very unlikely to come loose on their own.

5 - Elastic Hooks

Some brackets may be modified to include a separate hook designed to hold elastic bands. These could potentially become damaged, and no longer hold their bands. Get that checked out soon!

6 - Elastic Bands

Some braces configurations call for additional elastic bands connecting the upper and lower sets of teeth. These are relatively easy to break or dislodge. If the band is recoverable, and you can spot the hooks it was attached to, you could probably fix this yourself. Otherwise, we can fix it easily.

Empower Dental Rancho Offers Superior Orthodontics in Rancho Cucamonga

At Empower Dental Rancho, we pride ourselves on our orthodontic work, particularly our strong family-friendly atmosphere. If you have any questions about getting braces in Rancho Cucamonga, please contact us!