Abstract: The appliances and methods provide a tab on a “U”-shaped clip having a labial (i.e. toward the patient's lips or cheek) section and a lingual (i.e. toward the patient's tongue) section. The tab is located in a position that facilitates access by a practitioner and also reduces the moment applied to the clip when the clips is opened and closed. Advantageously, the tab can be positioned to account for the varying degree of resistance encountered by different sections of the clip and minimize the likelihood of either distorting the clip or torquing the appliance. The tab can be positioned coplanar with the sliding mechanism. Advantageously, these appliances can provide improved ease of use, reduced clip distortion over time, and greater patient comfort.

Abstract: The appliances and methods provide a tab on a “U”-shaped clip having a labial (i.e. toward the patient's lips or cheek) section and a lingual (i.e. toward the patient's tongue) section. The tab is located in a position that facilitates access by a practitioner and also reduces the moment applied to the clip when the clips is opened and closed. Advantageously, the tab can be positioned to account for the varying degree of resistance encountered by different sections of the clip and minimize the likelihood of either distorting the clip or torquing the appliance. The tab can be positioned coplanar with the sliding mechanism. Advantageously, these appliances can provide improved ease of use, reduced clip distortion over time, and greater patient comfort.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance includes a base with an outer surface, as well as at least one passageway extending through the base. An element is received in each passageway and is made of a material that transmits actinic radiation. The element serves as a window to facilitate the curing of light-curable orthodontic adhesive beneath the appliance base, while simultaneously preventing movement of the adhesive through the passageway. Optionally, one or more optical fibers are provided to facilitate curing of the adhesive.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance such as a bracket or buccal tube has a latch for retaining an archwire in an archwire slot. The latch releases the archwire from the archwire slot whenever the archwire exerts a force on the appliance that exceeds a certain minimum value. The minimum value is less than about one-half of the force required in the same direction to debond the appliance from the tooth, and thus reduces the likelihood that the appliance will unintentionally debond from the tooth during the course of orthodontic treatment.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket has tiewings with cavities for receiving an attachment, such as a hook or a ligating latch. Optionally, the bracket is made in two or more sections or bodies that preferably have cross-sectional configurations similar to each other when viewed in directions perpendicular to the archwire slot. When the bodies are assembled to each other, tiewing portions of each section are located adjacent each other to present a single tiewing.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket has tiewings with cavities for receiving an attachment, such as a hook or a ligating latch. Optionally, the bracket is made in two or more sections or bodies that preferably have cross-sectional configurations similar to each other when viewed in directions perpendicular to the archwire slot. When the bodies are assembled to each other, tiewing portions of each section are located adjacent each other to present a single tiewing.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance includes a base with an outer surface, as well as at least one passageway extending through the base. An element is received in each passageway and is made of a material that transmits actinic radiation. The element serves as a window to facilitate the curing of light-curable orthodontic adhesive beneath the appliance base, while simultaneously preventing movement of the adhesive through the passageway. Optionally, one or more optical fibers are provided to facilitate curing of the adhesive.

Abstract: A hand instrument for debonding orthodontic brackets has a shield that extends around the bracket during a debonding procedure. In certain embodiments, the shield is connected to a vacuum source for carrying away any loose fragments or sections. In another embodiment, the debonding tool has at least one resilient surface for engagement with sides of the bracket to facilitate the application of uniform pressure on the bracket. Additional embodiments include a shield having at least one resilient outer edge for contact with the tooth surface.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance includes a base with an outer surface, as well as at least one passageway extending through the base. An element is received in each passageway and is made of a material that transmits actinic radiation. The element serves as a window to facilitate the curing of light-curable orthodontic adhesive beneath the appliance base, while simultaneously preventing movement of the adhesive through the passageway. Optionally, one or more optical fibers are provided to facilitate curing of the adhesive.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance includes a base with an outer surface, as well as at least one passageway extending through the base. An element is received in each passageway and is made of a material that transmits actinic radiation. The element serves as a window to facilitate the curing of light-curable orthodontic adhesive beneath the appliance base, while simultaneously preventing movement of the adhesive through the passageway. Optionally, one or more optical fibers are provided to facilitate curing of the adhesive.

Abstract: A dental impression tray assembly includes an impression tray as well as a liner. The liner is adapted to cover holes in the impression tray in order to prevent leakage of impression material through the holes during a dental procedure. Preferably, the liner is removably connected to the tray so that the practitioner has the option of using the tray with or without the liner.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance such as a bracket or buccal tube has a latch for retaining an archwire in an archwire slot. The latch releases the archwire from the archwire slot whenever the archwire exerts a force on the appliance that exceeds a certain minimum value. The minimum value is less than about one-half of the force required in the same direction to debond the appliance from the tooth, and thus reduces the likelihood that the appliance will unintentionally debond from the tooth during the course of orthodontic treatment.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket includes an archwire slot with mesial and distal end sections that present archwire relief areas. The bracket also includes a latch movable between a slot-open position in order to enable insertion or removal of an archwire, and a slot-closed position in order to retain an archwire in the archwire slot. The bracket includes at least one flange that extends along at least a portion of the mesial and distal archwire end sections and over a portion of the latch in order to provide enhanced rotational control over the underlying tooth without undue deformation of the latch.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket includes an archwire slot with mesial and distal end sections that present archwire relief areas. The bracket also includes a latch movable between a slot-open position in order to enable insertion or removal of an archwire, and a slot-closed position in order to retain an archwire in the archwire slot. The bracket includes at least one flange that extends along at least a portion of the mesial and distal archwire end sections and over a portion of the latch in order to provide enhanced rotational control over the underlying tooth without undue deformation of the latch.

Abstract: An orthodontic assembly includes one or more orthodontic appliances that are releasably received in a carrier. The carrier has arms with outer end sections that are spaced apart from each other to present a channel therebetween. The outer end sections of the arms are received in recesses of each appliance in order to support the appliance in suspended relation. The carrier is particularly useful for holding appliances during a manufacturing operation or during transport of the appliances from manufacturing operation to another. The carrier is also useful for supporting appliances in a package for shipment to the end user, especially when the appliances are precoated with a layer of adhesive.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket has a latch that is movable from a slot-open position to a first closed position or a second closed position. In the first closed position of the latch, the latch engages an archwire with sufficient force to provide active orthodontic therapy. In the second closed position, the effective labial-lingual dimension of the archwire slot is somewhat greater than the overall labial-lingual dimension of the archwire such that the bracket provides passive orthodontic therapy.

Abstract: Orthodontic adhesive is cooled below ambient temperature in order to facilitate applying the adhesive to the base of an orthodontic appliance. The adhesive is placed on a carrier and formed into a certain shape on the carrier, and then released from the carrier while cool. In one embodiment, a quantity of adhesive is placed on the base of the appliance, and the appliance is then moved to a cut-off die while the adhesive remains cool and relatively brittle; next, a stream of pressurized air fractures and removes excess adhesive from the appliance base.

Abstract: A package for an adhesive precoated dental appliance such as an orthodontic bracket includes a container having a well and a flange, and a cover that extends over an opening of the well. A pressure sensitive adhesive releasably connects the cover to the flange along a first region, and a hermetic seal extends between the cover and the flange along a second region that is located between the first region and the opening of the well. The hermetic seal cooperates with the pressure sensitive adhesive to provide a reliable, easily openable package. The hermetic seal also prevents volatile components of adhesive on the dental appliance from contacting the pressure sensitive adhesive and thereby decreases loss of the volatile components from within the package in order to extend the expected shelf life of the adhesive precoated appliance.

Abstract: A packaged dental article includes a dental appliance that is precoated with an adhesive. The adhesive is in contact with a flexible film having a low adhesion surface. The film is secured to a container at a location spaced from the appliance so that the film tends to peel away from the adhesive when the appliance is removed from the container in order to inhibit separation of the adhesive from the appliance. The container has a sidewall with a recess that engages a carrier to hold the container, and the carrier is flexible to permit the container to be inserted into or released from the carrier when desired.

Abstract: A method of making an orthodontic appliance such as a bracket includes the step of forming a preform of molding material while a portion of the molding material is in contact with a textured portion of a web. The web is subsequently degraded by a thermal or solvent degrading process to leave a witness impression on the underside of the preform. The web optionally serves as a conveyor to move the preform from one processing area to another, and optionally has the appearance of a woven material such that the resulting appliance resembles a mesh base appliance having undercut regions.