What does it mean to be in a “finishing wire” with braces?

Near the end of treatment, we often place a finishing wire—a stiffer, more detailed wire that helps fine-tune the last little details of your smile and bite. This is when we make small adjustments to get everything looking and fitting just right before the braces come off.

Why do you take X-rays during braces treatment?

X-rays help us check how the roots and surrounding bone are doing, not just the part of the teeth you see. During treatment—especially toward the end—we may take updated X-rays to make sure everything is healthy and moving as planned before we finalize your bite.

Why do I have to wear elastics part-time near the end of treatment?

Elastics (rubber bands) help adjust how your top and bottom teeth fit together. As you get closer to the end, we may switch you to part-time wear to fine-tune your bite or maintain the improvement we’ve made, without overcorrecting.

Why would you change the style of rubber bands I’m using?

Different elastic patterns and strengths do different jobs. Changing the style of rubber bands can help us target a specific bite detail—for example, bringing certain teeth together or improving how your molars line up. It’s a normal part of making sure your final bite is as good as your smile looks.

Dr McMinn Adjusts Oliver's Braces!

Name: Dr McMinn Adjusts Oliver's Braces!
Uploaded: 2025-11-19T15:21:50.720Z
Description: Watch as Dr. McMinn walks through the final stages of orthodontic treatment with X-rays, wire tweaks, and elastic updates for Oliver.

Watch as Dr. McMinn walks through the final stages of orthodontic treatment with X-rays, wire tweaks, and elastic updates for Oliver.

Dr. McMinn adjusts Oliver's braces! Ready to start your own transformation? Come in for a FREE consultation and let us help you achieve the look you've always wanted. Schedule an appointment here.

Transcript

Hello, I’m Dr. McMinn at Idaho Orthodontics.

Today, we’re going to do some adjusting on Oliver’s teeth. First, I’m going to review the X-ray we took today to make sure everything is looking good.

Oliver is in his finishing wire, where we’re working on all the last little details to get him wrapped up with braces and make everything look really nice.

Let’s have him wear his elastics part-time. We’re also going to change the style of rubber band just a little bit for you, okay?

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