Braces 101 with Sanborn Orthodontics

If you ever have damage to your braces and need to call Sanborn Orthodontics, we can help more effectively if you can tell us exactly which piece is in trouble!  Here's a handy diagram and corresponding list of all the parts that make up your braces.

Elastic Chain:  Tiny rubber bands that are fit under the bracket to close spaces.

Archwire:  The main wire that acts as a track to guide the teeth into position.  It's changed periodically throughout treatment, as teeth move to their new positions.

Archwire Loop:  Occasionally used for closing space left by an extraction.  Most archwires don't have loops.

Band:  A thin ring of metal fitted around a tooth and cemented in placed.  The band provides a way to attach the brackets to the tooth.

Bracket:  The main, small attachment that holds the archwire in placed.  Most often, a bracket is cemented directly onto the tooth's surface, eliminating the need for a band.

Headgear Tube (Rarely used in our office):  Round, hollow attachment on the back of bands.  The inner bow of the headgear fits into it.

Coil Spring:  Fits between brackets and over archwires to open spaces between teeth.

Ligature Ties:  Fine wire that is twisted under the archwire or around brackets.

Hook:  Welded or removable arms used to attach elastics (rubber bands).

Elastics (Rubber Bands):  Small rubber bands that hook between different points on the appliance to provide pressure to help move teeth.

Hope this helps.  Give us a call if you have any questions!!!

Working With Patients With Special Needs

At Sanborn Orthodontics, we work with patients of all ages and needs. These include patients with special needs, conditions and disabilities. Our team is experienced and willing to work with these patients, and strive to help create a comfortable, relaxing environment.

Just last week, we saw a child with autism. Prior to the appointment, we discussed with her parents the environment in which their daughter feels most comfortable. They mentioned she prefers quiet voices, minimal amount of excitement around her. She also loves dogs!!! We informed our team of these requests and one of our team members also made a DVD of her new puppy for the patient to watch, how awesome is that!!! We believe this patient's visit was a success.

At Sanborn Orthodontics, we do our part to accomodate ALL of our patient's needs.

Going Green at Sanborn Orthodontics

We are living in an age with a renewed commitment to conservation and are frequently reminded to recycle, reduce and reuse. Earth day was April 22nd and we thought this would be a great time to discuss everything that Sanborn Orthodontics does to conserve our natural resources and the environment.

Did you know that our office is paperless? We offer convenient and secure online services with our patient login system. You can view all of your account information, and even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages Since this information is submitted electronically, we eliminate the need for extraneous paper communications. We are also providing digital x-rays that do not require chemicals to produce and lower dose radiation, which is safer.

We're also always looking for new ways to go green - currently we are testing new, non-toxic cleaning supplies for use in the office. We also use recycled paper towels and other paper products. Our coffee bar also has a recycling bin for all your water bottles and cans. So our team here at Sanborn Orthodontics would love to hear how you minimize your impact on the environment. Leave us a comment below or you can also visit our Facebook page and post something on our wall. Thanks!!!