Orthodontics Practice Glossary

The horizontal distance between the upper and lower incisor edges, measured parallel to the occlusal plane.

A maxillary canine that has been displaced palatally from its normal position in the arch, most commonly applied to a pa...

An orthodontic appliance, fixed or removable, designed to widen the maxillary arch by applying lateral forces to separat...

A wide-field dental X-ray that produces a single two-dimensional image of the entire upper and lower jaws, teeth, and su...

A quantitative measure of the degree of dental irregularity before and after orthodontic treatment, used to assess treat...

A validated index used to measure the degree of malocclusion and quantify the improvement achieved by orthodontic treatm...

A fixed intra-oral device used to distalize upper molars through spring-loaded titanium alloy arms attached to a palatal...

An assessment of the health of the supporting structures of the teeth—including the gingiva, periodontal ligament, and a...

The forward inclination of the incisor teeth relative to their supporting bone or to a defined cephalometric reference p...

A condition in which the jaw (maxilla, mandible, or both) protrudes beyond the normal antero-posterior relationship with...

A fixed palatal expansion appliance with four helical coils used to widen the upper dental arch in cases of posterior cr...

The partial or complete return of teeth toward their pre-treatment positions following the completion of active orthodon...

An orthodontic device that the patient can insert and remove, used for simple tooth movements or as a retainer.

A fixed or removable orthodontic appliance worn after active treatment to maintain the corrected position of teeth and p...

The written plan specifying the type, duration, and review schedule for retainers to be worn following active orthodonti...

The backward (palatal or lingual) inclination of the incisor teeth relative to their supporting bone or a cephalometric...

A condition in which the jaw (maxilla, mandible, or both) is positioned posteriorly relative to the cranial base, result...

A cephalometric analysis system developed by Robert Ricketts that uses specific craniofacial landmarks to assess skeleta...

The loss of root structure resulting from the activity of odontoclasts, which can be a physiological process during prim...

A bracket design incorporating a built-in mechanism to retain the archwire without the need for separate ligature ties.

A description of the underlying jaw relationship in all three planes of space, independent of the teeth, used to guide o...

The curvature created by the incisal edges of the maxillary anterior teeth, assessed in relation to the curvature of the...

A cephalometric measurement expressing the antero-posterior position of the maxilla relative to the cranial base, with a...

A cephalometric measurement expressing the anteroposterior position of the mandibular base relative to the cranial base....