Metal Mouth Message Board

I got braces on Monday. There is something I don't recognize on two of the lower brackets (both are a couple teeth away from the middle). On each one there is a metal rod thing pointing down thats tip is rounded off in a ball.

It looks roughly like this:

{ } -bracket
| -rod
o -ball

I am just curious as to what this exactly is.

EDIT: The drawing didn't turn out that well. Imagine the "rod" and "ball" to be more centered in relation to the bracket.

I think I have what you are trying to explain...I believe it is a "hook" so when we get elastics, they will hook on to them.

Oh dear me.....I hadn't noticed those.....I do seem to have quite a few of them.....sheesh, more to worry about