Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket system is provided, comprising a bracket to be mounted on the lingual side of the tooth and a self-ligating insert. The insert comprises a retention arm and a lockarm pivotally engaged together. The retention arm includes: a retention spring; a topside arm; and a pivot ring connecting the retention spring to the topside arm. The lockarm includes: an attachment portion having a pivot bar configured to be received in the pivot ring of the retention arm; a strut portion connected to the attachment portion; and a clasp portion having a clasp lock and an unlocking opening. The clasp lock is configured to engage a chokebox stem of the bracket. A retention groove in the bracket retains the retention arm of the insert. The bracket includes slots for occlusal, edgewise and gingival archwires. A method of providing orthodontic treatment and an orthodontic system are also provided.

Abstract: An adapter is configured to convert a non-self ligating lingual orthodontic bracket into a self-ligating bracket. The adapter is-removably attachable to the non-self ligating lingual orthodontic bracket and includes a self-ligating mechanism. According to a preferred embodiment, the bracket adapter includes a pin, a tube, and a lockwire. The pin is configured to be removably secured to the non-self ligating bracket. The tube is attached to or formed from an occlusal end of the pin. The lockwire is partially mounted within the tube and is capable of rotation between a ligating and a non-ligating position. In its ligating position, the lockwire securely retains an archwire within an archwire slot of the non-self ligating bracket using shear-resistant properties of the lockwire.

Abstract: A bite registration appliance includes an upper base plate and a two-piece lower plate, one carrying a tracing stylus and the other carrying a tracing plate, for making a Gothic arch tracing in a patient having natural dentition without interfering with the patient's bite. One embodiment is arranged to fit within the arches, engaging undercut areas of the lingual sides of the arches, the lower plate being formed by two members that are movable laterally about a slot to engage extension wings against the inner sides of the mandible. In the second embodiment, both the maxillary and mandibular plates are two-piece units, each having a pair of arcuate extension arms that clamp around the lingual side of the patient's dental arches. The extension wings or arms in both embodiments fit loosely against a typical patient's archform and then custom fitted to the patient by trimming and molding a self-curing acrylic to the extension wings or arms.

Abstract: A lingual orthodontic bracket includes a bonding pad for attaching said bracket to a lingual side of a tooth. A base member is connected to the bonding pad, and opposing first and second wings are connected to the base member for engaging opposite end portions of an O-ring. An archwire slot is defined in the base member between the first and second wings and has an entrance in a direction of the second wing, opposing first and second walls, and a base wall positioned opposite the entrance in a direction of the base member. The archwire slot is configured to receive an archwire in a direction substantially directed from the second wing to the base member at an acute angle to a plane of the bonding pad. A pair of O-ring slots are defined in opposite lateral sides of the base member at a location where the base member connects to the second wing in such a manner that the connection between the base member and the second wing forming a T-shaped member in plan view.

Abstract: A lingual orthodontic bracket includes a body (12) having a three-sided archwire slot (14, 414), and a hinged closure member (22, 422) pivotally and pivotable across the archwire slot and into a closed position in the closure member slot. The closure member includes a cam shaped central portion (28, 428A, 428B) extending across the archwire to retain it in the archwire slot under shear. The cam portion is convexly shaped to seat the archwire in the slot during closure. A bumper or rotation member (340, 440) can be used to bias the archwire against the closure member. The closure member (422) is formed with two sides that enclose the sides of the bracket and locking ears (425A, 425B) that engage the bracket body. The bracket includes two oppositely directed wings (418, 426) for receiving a ligature or O-ring.

Abstract: A multiarch assembly comprises first and second parallel archwires, each formed into a segment of an orthodontic archform spanning a plurality of a patient's teeth, a multiarch bracket having a bracket body defining reentrant archwire slots along opposite occluso-gingival sides of the base for receiving and seating the first and second archwires in a base portion therein, the base portions of the slots having a predetermined center-to-center occluso-gingival spacing; and an interarch connector having a connector body formed of a resilient material with first and second archwire openings spaced apart along an occluso-gingival axis of elongation and sized for the first and second archwires to be threaded therethrough, the connector body being resiliently deformable along the axis of elongation to enable the archwires to be spread apart and then to urge the archwires toward one another in a direction of contraction along the axis of elongation; the holes in the interarch connector being spaced center-to-center a

Abstract: A lingual orthodontic bracket includes a body having a three-sided archwire slot, a closure member slot, and a hinged closure member pivotally and pivotable across the archwire slot and into a closed position in the closure member slot. The closure member includes a cam shaped portion extending across the archwire to retain it in the archwire slot under shear. The cam portion is convexly shaped to force the archwire to seat in the slot as the closure member is rotated toward the closed position, and has a neutral to over-center or negative camming action upon closure to retain the closure member in the closed position. The closure member includes a protrusion that wedges into the closure member slot in the closed position, The bracket includes two oppositely directed wings formed respectively on the body and the closure member for receiving a ligature or O-ring.

Abstract: A bracket having a closure slot extending through both sides of the bracket body across an archwire slot for a closure member to secure an archwire. The bracket body has an internal shoulder extending across one side of the closure slot. The closure member is a lengthwise-folded flat spring having a free end positioned and biased to engage the shoulder when closed, and including a ramp forming a cam at the distal end thereof. Pushing the closure member lengthwise in the closure slot with sufficient force depresses the free end to disengage it from the internal shoulder to slide the closure member to an open position. Intermediate retention ears are formed on the core of the closure member to engage opposite lateral sides of the closure slot when open. A bendable tab is formed in the bracket body to block the closure member from removal from one end of the closure slot after insertion therein. The bracket body has twin pairs of tie wings to provide dual modes of closure.

Abstract: A multiarch assembly comprises first and second parallel archwires, each formed into a segment of an orthodontic archform spanning a plurality of a patient's teeth, a multiarch bracket having a bracket body defining reentrant archwire slots along opposite occluso-gingival sides of the base for receiving and seating the first and second archwires in a base portion therein, the base portions of the slots having a predetermined center-to-center occluso-gingival spacing; andan interarch connector having a connector body formed of a resilient material with first and second archwire openings spaced apart along an occluso-gingival axis of elongation and sized for the first and second archwires to be threaded therethrough, the connector body being resiliently deformable along the axis of elongation to enable the archwires to be spread apart and then to urge the archwires toward one another in a direction of contraction along the axis of elongation;the holes in the interarch connector being spaced center-to-center a d

Abstract: An improved lingual orthodontic bracket includes a bracket body having a three-sided archwire slot, a hinged closure member pivotable across the archwire slot and two oppositely directed wings formed respectively on the bracket body and the closure member for receiving a ligature or O-ring to secure the closure member in the closed position, the closure member having a closure portion which extends across the archwire to retain the archwire in the slot under shear. The closure member is a substantially rigid member formed in a generally J-shape and connected by a hinge to the bracket body on the opposite side of the archwire slot from the first tie wing. The closure member has a first end connected pivotally by the hinge to the bracket body, a second distal end forming a tie wing oppositely directed from the bracket tie wing, and a central portion shaped so as to extend across the archwire slot to retain the archwire seated in shear in the archwire slot.

Abstract: A multiarch assembly comprises first and second parallel archwires, each formed into a segment of an orthodontic archform spanning a plurality of a patient's teeth, a multiarch bracket having a bracket body defining reentrant archwire slots along opposite occluso-gingival sides of the base for receiving and seating the first and second archwires in a base portion therein, the base portions of the slots having a predetermined center-to-center occluso-gingival spacing; andan interarch connector having a connector body formed of a resilient material with first and second archwire openings spaced apart along an occluso-gingival axis of elongation and sized for the first and second archwires to be threaded therethrough, the connector body being resiliently deformable along the axis of elongation to enable the archwires to be spread apart and then to urge the archwires toward one another in a direction of contraction along the axis of elongation;the holes in the interarch connector being spaced center-to-center a d

Abstract: A bracket having a closure slot extending through both sides of the bracket body across art archwire slot for a closure member to secure an archwire. The bracket body has an internal shoulder extending across one side of the closure slot. The closure member is a lengthwise-folded flat spring having a free end positioned and biased to engage the shoulder when closed, and including a ramp forming a cam at the distal end thereof. Pushing the closure member lengthwise in the closure slot with sufficient force depresses the free end to disengage it from the internal shoulder to slide the closure member to an open position. Intermediate retention ears are formed on the core of the closure member to engage opposite lateral sides of the closure slot when open. A bendable tab is formed in the bracket body to block the closure member from removal from one end of the closure slot after insertion therein. The bracket body has twin pairs of tie wings to provide dual modes of closure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating an orthodontic archform and forming an archwire. The method includes positioning the model teeth in a curved archform and making a graphical representation of the archform. An archwire is superimposed over the graphical representation and archwire-segment forming templates, each having an archwire channel of a predetermined shape, are clamped onto segments of the archwire between the brackets to shape each segment so that the archwire as a whole assumes the desired shape of the archform. The archwire is then formed in that shape by heat treatment or by leaving a streamlined form of the templates on the archwire.

Abstract: A design and manufacturing process uses flat sheets with outline shapes cut into the metal to manufacture orthodontic parts in laminate form. These sheets are aligned and stacked together, tack welded and brazed together in a flat form or may be bent together and then brazed. The process may be used to produce either commonly used conventional orthodontic brackets or very complicated shapes required for difficult applications.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating an orthodontic archform and forming an archwire. The method includes setting up separated model teeth in a setup fixture to mutually locate the brackets relative to the model teeth, with the teeth supported on a setup plate structure. The model teeth are transferred on the setup plate structures to an alignment fixture and positioned in a curved archform. An archwire forming fixture is substituted for the teeth on the alignment fixture, an archwire is clamped in an archwire slot in this assembly, and then heat treated. Insulative shaping pins are positioned along the archwire to add compound curves or loops.

Abstract: A bracket having a closure slot extending through both sides of the bracket body across an archwire slot for a closure member to secure an archwire. The bracket body is compact, with a continuous profile, and the closure member ends are contained within the closure slot, so that a collar for an auxiliary attachment can be mounted on the bracket. The bracket body has an internal shoulder extending across one side of the closure slot. The closure member is a lengthwise-folded flat spring having a free end positioned near one end and biased to engage the shoulder when closed. A locking tab cooperates with the free end to lock the closure member closed. Depressing the free end allows it to pass through an escape notch in the internal shoulder to slide the closure member to an open position. Intermediate ears positioned near the opposite end engage the shoulder when open. The free end springs outward to hold the member open. The bracket body has a recessed base to space the archwire slot close to a bonding pad.

Abstract: A design and manufacturing process uses flat sheets with outline shapes cut into the metal to manufacture orthodontic parts in laminate form. These sheets are aligned and stacked together, tack welded and brazed together in a flat form or may be bent together and then brazed. The process may be used to produce either commonly used conventional orthodontic brackets or very complicated shapes required for difficult applications.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating an orthodontic archform and forming an archwire. The method includes setting up separated model teeth in a setup fixture to mutually locate the brackets relative to the model teeth, with the teeth supported on a setup plate structure. The model teeth are transferred on the setup plate structures to an alignment fixture and positioned in a curved archform. An archwire forming fixture is substituted for the teeth on the alignment fixture; an archwire is clamped in an archwire slot in this assembly, and then heat treated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating an orthodontic archform wherein the bracket archwire slots are level to one another. The method includes setting up separated model teeth in a straight line on a setup fixture to locate the brackets in a level position on the model teeth, transferring the model teeth and brackets to an alignment fixture, and positioning them in a curved arrangement defining an archform. An archwire can then be formed in the bracket slots either manually or by inserting and clamping the archwire in the slots and heat treating the archwire in an oven.

Abstract: A method applying orthodontic brackets that employ a bracket pad. The pad has a pad portion conforming to the surface of the tooth and has two laterally spaced indexing tabs integrally connected to the pad portion for bending over the tooth. An orthodontic bracket is mounted on the pad and the pad is positioned on a model of the patient's tooth so as to align the bracket as prescribed by the orthodontists. The index tabs are bent over the tooth, the pad is then burnished, and the tab ends are welded together to memorize the shape of the tooth. The pad is bonded to the patient's tooth and the index tabs are removed.