The parts of your braces

The most visible parts of your braces are the square metal brackets. These are usually glued directly to your teeth. Like railroad ties that keep the train track in place, the brackets hold the main wire (called the archwire) in place. Smaller wires or tiny elastic bands fasten the archwire to the bracket.

If the brackets are not cemented directly to your teeth, they may be attached to a metal band that fits around your tooth like a belt. You will most likely have bands around your back molars.