Band
In orthodontic terms, this is a thin metal ring that is cemented onto the teeth so that orthodontic wires or appliances such as a transpalatal arch, lower lingual arch or a headgear can be attached. Before bands were prefabricated in different sizes for each tooth, they were actually soldered together from thin sheet metal that […]
Bass Technique
A dental brushing technique performed with small vibrating movements, with the head of the toothbrush always positioned halfway on the tooth and on the gum.
Bass-Appliance
The Bass Appliance is a combined activator and headgear conceived by Neville Bass. It is a very effective appliance that can be used for the successful treatment of back-bite in the lower jaw even if it is only worn at night. Similar appliances are the Teuscher-Activator, the Hansa-Appliance and the Van Beek Activator. At the […]
Begg-Technique
The Begg-Technique is a fixed appliance that was first conceived in Australia in 1960 by P.R. Begg. It was popular for a while but has now almost completely disappeared – quite rightly so, one would almost like to say, because this technique involved a lot of extra wire elements and mechanical disadvantages. But the spirit […]
BEMA
The standard of assessment of dental services (BEMA 2004) is the basis for the billing of dental services within the statutory health insurance in Germany. Or in other words: the BEMA is the scale of fees for dentists working for the statutory health insurance in Germany.
Bimaxillary
Concerning both jaws, e.g. bimaxillary dysgnathic surgery
Bio-Bite-Corrector
The Bio Bite Corrector (abbreviated to BBC) is one of the countless modifications of the Herbst-Appliance which looks quite similar with its telescopic mechanism. Unlike the classic Herbst-Appliance, the Bio Bite Corrector is attached directly to the fixed appliance so that protruding of the lower jaw and forming the dental arches can be managed in […]
Bionator – an overestimated appliance
William Balter’s Bionator was developed in the 1950s and was first introduced in 1964. It is actually nothing more than a smaller version of an Activator, i.e. a removable brace that encompasses both the upper and lower jaw (double brace) and is intended to ‘jump the bite’. It has exactly the same effect as the […]
Bioprogressive Therapy
A treatment concept widely spread by Ricketts around 1970 which is based on using fixed appliances in mixed dentition. The Bioprogressive Therapy is currently becoming obsolete and its last supporters have almost vanished, but it still seems to have some followers in France.
Bite former according to Bimler
The Bimler appliance is a brace for adjusting the bite particularly in cases of retrusion of the lower jaw. It was first introduced by H.P. Bimler in 1949. The Bimler appliance is a kind of skeletonized Activator that has a lot of wire elements along with all the disadvantages of a removable brace (bad acceptance […]
Bite Plate
The bite plate is a removable brace that consists of a small, plastic body and some wire components. It is clipped behind the upper incisors to improve a deep bite in the lower incisors or to raise the bite in the posterior teeth. When it is actually worn, it works very well. However, like almost […]
Bite relation
The position of upper and lower jaw in relationship to each other, usually described as the position of the lower jaw: prognathism, neutral bite/eugnathia and retrognathism of the lower jaw (mandible).
Bite Splint
This is a removable plastic cover/splint usually used for the upper teeth and it separates the rows of teeth when biting. Occlusal splints are normally worn at night to prevent the patient from grinding their teeth. They are usually employed where there is pain in either the jaw joint or the chewing muscles which is […]
Bolton Discrepancy
Described by W. Bolton in 1958, this term refers to the differences in size that often occur between the teeth of the upper and lower jaw. Above a certain degree of Bolton-Discrepancy it is no longer possible to position the teeth in a normal bite. In such cases it is generally a choice between either […]
Brace
This is the normal layman’s term for an orthodontic appliance or retainer. There are both fixed and removable braces, although the removable type are now mainly outdated.
Bracket
A bracket is a small lock that can be fixed onto the teeth and is used to transfer forces and torques of orthodontic wires to the teeth. Brackets are the universal working tool in fixed orthodontics. Bonded brackets have been used in orthodontics since 1970 and have since largely replaced the previously used cemented bands. […]
Bruxism
In dentistry, bruxism refers to all non-functional tooth contacts such as grinding and pressing. There’s a difference between awake and sleep bruxism, both of which have different causes. In the long run, bruxism leads to attrition of tooth substance which can be detected by typical, usually high-gloss grinding facets. Occasional bruxism is normal and not […]
Buccal
Cheek-related; in the direction of the cheeks