Braces 101, With Drs. Baby & Rojas

If you live in the London or Wingham communities and you sustain any damage to your braces, we can help you 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. Give Drs. Baby & Rojas a call at 519-675-0330 to schedule an appointment!



Elastic Tie: Tiny rubber band that fits around the bracket to hold the archwire in place.


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

Loop in Archwire: Frequently used for closing space left by an extraction. Many archwires don't have a loop.

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

Headgear Tube: Round, hollow attachment on the back bands. The inner bow of the headgear fits into it.

Coil Spring: Fits between brackets and over archwire to open space between teeth.

Tie Wire: Fine wire that is twisted around the bracket to hold the archwire in place.

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

Hook: Welded or removable arm to which elastics (rubber bands) are attached.

Elastic (Rubber Band): Small rubber band that is hooked between different points on the appliance to provide pressure to move the teeth.

--Drs. Baby & Rojas

Summer Fun with Drs. Baby & Rojas!

Its summer here at our office, a season full of vacations, adventures and great memories. Whether you went camping, travelling, or just had fun in the sun, we want to hear about it! Leave a comment on our blog and tell us about your summer!

Happy Travels,

-From Drs. Baby & Rojas

Drs. Baby & Rojas Around the Web

If you've ever visited our practice, you already know that Drs. Baby, Rojas and the rest of the team love connecting with their patients. We love the ability to communicate with all of you online too! Besides our web site and our blog, Drs. Baby & Rojas is on many other networks too!

* Share a video with us, or watch one of ours on YouTube

* Become a "fan" of Drs. Baby & Rojas on Facebook

* View and comment on our photos on MySpace

* Follow our tweets on Twitter

See you around the web!

--Drs. Baby, Rojas

When Are Two Phases of Treatment Necessary? From Drs. Baby and Rojas

Usually patients in orthodontic treatment already have their permanent teeth – but in some cases we have to start treatment earlier, even before the patient’s permanent teeth come in. We call this “two-phase treatment.”

When we have patients with clear developmental problems at an early age, it’s best to start work when they are young, before the problems get bigger and more difficult to treat. Examples include an upper or lower jaw that is not growing correctly, or a mouth growing in a way that doesn’t leave enough room for all the permanent teeth to come in.

In these cases we will start early and do one round of treatment – phase one – while the patient still has “baby teeth.” Phase one usually does not involve braces, but can include a different type of appliance that helps the jaw grow into place properly, such as a retainer. We’ll follow up with phase two usually a few years later, when permanent the patient’s permanent teeth have come in. Phase two often does involve braces and sometimes headgear.

In order to catch early problems, we recommend that children have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven (and so does the American Association of Orthodontics). However, if your dentist or pediatrician sees any sign that early treatment might be necessary, he or she may recommend your child visit an orthodontist even sooner. For more information about two-phase orthodontics, or to schedule a consultation with Drs. Baby & Rojas please call 1-800-920-9798 and visit our web site.