ORTHODONTIC EMERGENCIES
Most orthodontic "emergencies" can be handled easily at home. To help you accurately describe an emergency situation to our office, use the following picture, which names each part of a typical set of braces.

A. Archwire The archwire is tied to all of the brackets (braces) and applies the force to move teeth.

B. Brackets Brackets are bonded on the teeth and hold the archwire in place.

C. Metal Band The band is the cemented ring of metal which wraps around the tooth.

D. Ligature - Elastic "O" rings or Alastics The archwire is held to each bracket with a ligature which is usually a tiny elastic (this comes in a range of colors).

E. Ligature - Metal tie. The archwire can also be held to the bracket with a metal ligature tie.

F. Elastics / Rubber Bands Elastics or rubber bands help move teeth toward their final position.

G. Power Chain Elastic chains are also used to hold the archwire in place.

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