Molar band
A molar band is a metal ring, usually on a back tooth, that is cemented to the tooth for strength and anchorage, as the Band entry in the American Association of Orthodontists’ glossary defines it.
The Band entry and the AAO’s diagram of braces
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) files the molar band in its Glossary of Orthodontic Terms under the shorter name Band: “A metal ring, usually on a back tooth, that is cemented to a tooth for strength and anchorage.” The AAO’s diagram of a typical set of braces labels the same part Molar Bands and says where it goes: “A metal band with a bracket attached is wrapped around select molars for additional anchorage.”
Select is the diagram’s own word: in the AAO’s account, bands go on chosen molars rather than on every back tooth.
Spacers and the buccal tube: the entries that lead to a band
Molar bands come up again in the AAO glossary’s Spacers and Buccal Tube entries, one for the step that makes room for a band and one for the part a band carries. The Spacers entry describes tiny elastics inserted between the molars before braces, placed “to create space between molars if molar bands will be used as part of the orthodontic appliance.” The Buccal Tube entry describes what sits on the band itself: “A small metal part of the bracket is welded to the cheek side of the molar band.”
Spacers are one of three things the AAO glossary calls rubber bands, beside the elastics worn during treatment and the ligature that holds the wire in each bracket, so it helps to ask which one is meant.
Whether a set of braces includes molar bands
Whether your braces include molar bands is decided by the orthodontist for your bite, and the AAO glossary’s own entry for braces leaves room for either answer, describing “a fixed orthodontic appliance, usually consisting of brackets, bands and wires.”
How bands work with the other parts, and what to do about a loose one before the next visit, are set out on the main page on braces, and bracket, archwire and ligature are among the parts of braces in the glossary.
Sources
- American Association of Orthodontists, Orthodontic Glossary: Braces & Dental Terms Defined
- American Association of Orthodontists, Living with Braces: Food, Oral Hygiene, & Care Tips
Bring the molar band question to your consultation
List molar bands among your questions when you send a consultation request.
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