Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket has a bonding base adapted for attachment to the crown of a tooth. A body member is attached to the front surface of the base and extends forwardly to a front face. The base defines a torque angle with respect to the front face of the body. Gingival and occlusal projections extend forwardly from the body member. The projections have archwire slot surfaces which, together with a portion of the body member's front face, define an archwire slot. First and second channels defined in the projections are coplanar and are disposed at an angle to the front face of the body member that is substantially equal to the torque angle. A door is disposed in one of the first and second channels. The door is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectably provide or prevent access to and from the archwire slot.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket having no movable or flexible parts includes a base having front and rear surfaces. The rear surface is adapted for attachment to the crown of a tooth. A body member is attached to the base and includes an upper half and a lower half, with facing archwire slot surfaces formed on the lower and upper sides thereof, respectively. One or more slot separating tabs are formed on the body member halves and extend vertically toward the other body member half at least partially beyond the archwire slot surface of the body member half to which the slot separating tab is attached. One or more ligating tabs are formed on the body member halves. The body member halves, slot separating tabs and ligating tabs are arranged such that they define an entry opening to a pair of archwire slots, the openings being non-linear in a mesial-distal direction.

Abstract: A pod for shipping a prepasted orthodontic appliance including a compartment having a cover or lid. The appliance includes uncured adhesive on its base and is removably attached to the underside of the lid and removable from the pod upon lifting of the lid. It is thereafter removable from the cover for placement on a tooth. The appliance is removably mounted on the lid by a compressible element frictionally engagable with an opening or openings of the appliance. When the lid is in closed position the appliance is suspended above the bottom of the pod so that the uncured adhesive does not touch the interior walls of the pod.

Abstract: A package for prepasted brackets mountable on the teeth of a patient wherein the bracket is mounted in a pod and is removable from the pod with adhesive on the back of the bracket so it can be directly placed in position on the tooth of a patient. The bracket includes a body and a base and a layer of light curable or otherwise curable polymer resin on the base which is later curable by use of light energy or otherwise. The package includes a carrier for the brackets and is enclosed by a flap over the top of the pod and held in place on supports or tabs extending upwardly from the bottom of the pod to prevent the polymer resin on the base from engaging the bottom of the pod. Stabilizing structure is provided in the pod to inhibit shifting of brackets during shipment.

Abstract: A removable orthodontic retainer for correction of minor irregularities and to retain the corrected positions of the teeth which includes a labial bow having biasing means that causes the labial bow to be continually active on the anterior teeth.

Abstract: A package for prepasted brackets mountable on the teeth of a patient wherein the bracket is mounted in a pod and is removable from the pod with adhesive on the back of the bracket so it can be directly placed in position on the tooth of a patient. The bracket includes a body and a base and a layer of light curable or otherwise curable polymer resin on the base which is later curable by use of light energy or otherwise. The package includes a carrier for the brackets and is enclosed by a flap over the top of the pod and held in place on supports or tabs extending upwardly from the bottom of the pod to prevent the polymer resin on the base from engaging the bottom of the pod. Stabilizing structure is provided in the pod to inhibit shifting of brackets during shipment.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket including a base mountable on a tooth and having upstanding hinge members with aligned slots defining an archwire slot and for pivotally and slidably receiving a pair of openable and closable jaws and a spring member engaging said jaws and actuable upon opening and closing said jaws to selectively lock the jaws into open position for insertion or removal of an archwire and closed position for locking the archwire to the bracket.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket including a base mountable on a tooth and having upstanding hinge members with aligned slots defining an archwire slot and for pivotally and slidably receiving a pair of openable and closable jaws and a spring member engaging said jaws and actuable upon opening and closing said jaws to selectively lock the jaws into open position for insertion or removal of an archwire and closed position for locking the archwire to the bracket.

Abstract: This invention is in a package and method of packaging ready mountable or prepasted bondable dental appliances, and particularly orthodontic brackets, wherein the appliances include a body and a base, and a layer of uncured polymer resin is applied to the base. The package includes a carrier for the bondable appliances for single or multiple appliances and enclosed in a hermetically sealed bag.

Abstract: A bilayer base for attaching appliances selected from the group consisting of a component of a dental appliance, an orthodontic appliance, or an orthopedic appliance to a bony part of the human body wherein the appliance part to be attached to the bony part of the body may be made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. The base permits the appliance to be ready for mounting and includes a cured layer of polymer resin mounted on the appliance and an uncured layer of substantially the same polymer resin over the cured layer which when cured becomes integral with the cured layer in attaching the appliance to a bony part of the body.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic appliance including a base, one or more pivotally and movably mounted jaws on the base, and a spring member actuable to coact with the base and jaws and selectively move the jaws between open and closed positions.

Abstract: Package and method of packaging ready mountable bondable dental appliances wherein the appliances include a body and a base, the base consisting of a cured layer of polymer resin and an uncured layer of polymer resin that may be light-curable or chemically curable. The package includes a compartmented carrier with bondable appliances in the compartments and enclosed in a hermetically sealed bag.

Abstract: A light-curable methacrylate based epoxy resin bonding pad molded to a ceramic orthodontic appliance, wherein the epoxy resin is made of bisphenol glycidyl methacrylate, tetra-hydrofurfuryl methacrylate, titanium dioxide, and camphor quinone, and the invisible light transmittance through the appliance and the pad is on the order of five percent plus or minus two percent.

Abstract: A bondable orthodontic appliance such as a molar tube bondable to a tooth by use of a light-cure adhesive for bond sites at the posterior of the mouth wherein the bonding pad of the appliance includes a light-cure adhesive bonding face.

Abstract: A bilayer base for attaching appliances selected from the group consisting of a component of a dental appliance, an orthodontic appliance, or an orthopedic appliance to a bony part of the human body wherein the appliance part to be attached to the bony part of the body may be made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. The base permits the appliance to be ready for mounting and includes a cured layer of polymer resin mounted on the appliance and an uncured layer of substantially the same polymer resin over the cured layer which when cured becomes integral with the cured layer in attaching the appliance to a bony part of the body.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance of the bracket or tube type for bondable mounting on a tooth including an appliance body having a buccal/labial archwire receiving side and a lingual side and a polymer resin bonding base molded to the lingual side such that at least part of the body is embedded in the base, and wherein the base may include openings for receiving an auxiliary or a secondary archwire.

Abstract: An improved orthodontic bracket including a horizontally opening archwire slot for a main aligning archwire for allowing crown tipping, limiting root uprighting, and controlling torquing, and a relatively small horizontal uprighting slot, tunnel or lumen extending substantially mesiodistally for receiving an additional small wire for uprighting teeth and eliminating the need to use individual uprighting springs in the final stage of patient treatment.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance includes brackets, an arch wire and a hook for receiving an elastic member. The hook is movable from a first position when the elastic is not positioned about the hook to a second position when the elastic member is positioned about the hook. In one embodiment, the orthodontic appliance includes a clamp pivotable about the arch wire, a tube connected to the clamp and to the hook, and a second wire connected to the tube and to at least one of the brackets. In another embodiment, magnets are secured to the arch wire. One of the magnets can pivot about the arch wire and includes a hook attached thereto. In another embodiment, an orthodontic appliance includes brackets, an arch wire, a clamp secured to the arch wire, a hook and a wire. The wire is secured to the clamp and the hook. The hook is movable in response to a force applied by an elastic member. In another embodiment, an orthodontic appliance includes brackets, an arch wire, a hook and a wire segment.

Abstract: A bilayer base for attaching appliances selected from the group consisting of a component of a dental appliance, an orthodontic appliance, or an orthopedic appliance to a bony part of the human body wherein the appliance part to be attached to the bony part of the body may be made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. The base permits the appliance to be ready for mounting and includes a cured layer of polymer resin mounted on the appliance and an uncured layer of substantially the same polymer resin over the cured layer which when cured becomes integral with the cured layer in attaching the appliance to a bony part of the body.