The need for treatment of sick teeth and restoration of the entirety of the dental and maxillary system is as old as mankind. The loss of teeth and their improper location is related with digestive disorders, speech difficulties and impairment of the outer appearance and the face. The need to restore the injured masticatory apparatus made people use different materials since the very remote past. The current review is intended, through studying literary resources, to track and present the materials used for manufacturing of the plaque parts of the removable orthodontic appliances. We found that the natural materials initially used in the practice were replaced by precious and non-precious metals and alloys, and subsequently by rubber, Bakelite and plastics with different composition and mode of polymerization, and foils for thermal moulding. Based on the executed research and position of our own experience, we can state that plastics are most widely used in the dental practice and in the recent years they enable creativity on the side of the dental technician and stimulation and motivation of the young patients for a successful orthodontic treatment.