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Main Office
5753 First Avenue North St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 Tel: 727-381-1062 Click here to e-mail us. Northeast Office 7401 9th St. North St. Petersburg, FL 33702 Tel: (727) 526-7462 Click here to e-mail us. Directions/Maps 
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Orthodontic Terms
Orthodontic Dictionary Appliance: Anything your orthodontist attaches to your teeth, which moves your teeth or changes the shape of your jaw. Archwire: A removable titanium or stainless steel wire that fits into the Damon bracket slots and held in place by the bracket's sliding "door" mechanism allowing the wire to "float" in the bracket. Bond: The seal created by orthodontic cement that holds your appliances in place. Band: A ring of metal with an attached tube that is glued onto the last tooth, usually a molar, in an appliance. Banding: The process of fitting and cementing orthodontic bands to your teeth. Bonding: The process of attaching brackets to your teeth using special orthodontic cement. Bracket: A metal part cemented ("bonded") to your tooth that holds your archwire in place. Buccal Tube: The attachment (tunnel or tube-like) bonded to the molars or last teeth into which the arch wire slides. Often as the archwire slides with tooth movement, the wire pokes from the back end of the buccal tube or slips out of the buccal tube. Cephalometric X-ray (ceph): An x-ray of your head, which shows the relative positions and growth of the face, jaws, and teeth. Coil Spring: A spring that fits between your brackets and over your archwire to open space between your teeth. Sometimes coil springs are connected to hooks or parts of your braces to close spaces. Consultation: A meeting with your orthodontist to discuss a treatment plan. Crowding: Dental malalignment caused by inadequate space for the teeth. Damon System Braces: A new clinically proven treatment approach that aligns your teeth and enhances your facial aesthetics - usually without extractions or rapid palatal expanders. Damon passive self ligating braces eliminate the need for elastic or metal "ties". With Damon tie-less braces you can experience treatment without tightening. Light high-technology shape-memory wires comfortably move teeth faster and with fewer adjustments. Debanding: The process of removing cemented orthodontic bands from your teeth. Debonding: The process of removing cemented orthodontic brackets from your teeth. Elastic (Rubber Band): A small latex band that can be stretched between various hooks on your braces to provide pressures to move you teeth and jaws to their new position. Without use consistent with the doctors instructions, the elastics will not work. Elastic Chains: Elastic modules can be used to tie teeth together to move them closer together and to hold space closure. Gingival: The tissue that surrounds the teeth, consisting of a fibrous tissue that is continuous with the periodontal ligament and mucosal covering. Herbst: A lower jaw forward positioning device to enable the lower jaw to develop in its proper position with the upper jaw. It's usually used for a year in growing children and 18 months in non-growing adults, under age 35. Hooks: Used to attach elastics (rubber bands) either on the bracket or on the archwire. Imaging: The process of acquiring representations of structures in either two or three dimensions. Impacted Tooth: A tooth that is trapped in the jaw and needs either surgical uncovering so it can be drawn into place or needs to be extracted such as a wisdom tooth to prevent later cysts. Invisalign: An alternative to traditional braces, Invisalign straightens your teeth with a series of clear custom-molded aligners. Invisalign can correct some, but not all, orthodontic problems. Ligature Tie: A steel wire that is used to tie or join teeth together so they will not move back to previous positions and to stabilize them in their new positions. Lingual: Of or pertaining to the tongue surface. A term used to describe surfaces and directions toward the tongue. Lingual Appliances: Orthodontic appliances fixed to the lingual surface of the teeth, such as a bonded retainer wire. Mouthguard: A device that protects your mouth from injury when you participate in sports or rigorous activities. Orthodontist: A dental specialist who has completed an advanced post-doctoral course, accredited by the American Dental Association, of at least two academic years in the area of orthodontics. Although an orthodontist has been trained to do all forms of specialty dentistry, he/she limits his work only to orthodontics. Orthognathic Surgery: Surgery to alter relationships of teeth and/or supporting bones, usually accomplished in conjunction with orthodontic therapy. Overbite: Vertical overlapping of upper teeth over lower teeth, usually measured perpendicular to the occlusal plane. Panoramic X-ray (pano/opg): An x-ray that rotates around your head to take a complete image of your teeth, jaw, and other facial areas. Retainer: An orthodontic appliance, fixed or removable, used to maintain the position of the teeth following corrective treatment. Retention: The passive treatment period following active orthodontic correction during which retaining appliances may be used. Separator or Spacer: A small rubber ring that creates space between your teeth before the bands are attached. Wax: is used to stop your braces from irritating your lips and cheeks. |
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Phone: 727-381-1062 Click Here to E-Mail Us Our main office: 5753 First Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 Our northeast office: 7401 9th Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702
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