Dental apparatus and method

A method comprising:

• engaging a hook with a side surface of, and applying a torque to, a tooth from a patient's mouth via an engagement component that includes the hook, and aligning the hook with the side surface of the tooth;
• translating a received input torque, from an input torque component which includes a handle, along a shaft which is separate from and coupled to a torque controller at a proximal end of the shaft, and to the engagement component which is at a distal end of the shaft;
• and
• limiting the torque applied to the tooth, relative to input torque provided via the input torque component, using the torque controller with the input torque component and the engagement component, wherein the torque controller includes a spring and limiting the torque includes limiting translation of the input torque using a slip clutch, based upon adjustable torque settings provided by the torque controller and corresponding to different torques, by mechanically slipping the slip clutch in response to a torque input that is greater than a current torque-limit setting, and translating the torque input into a torque output that is applied to the tooth and that is limited in value to a torque-limit setting at which the torque controller is set, and wherein engaging with and applying a torque to a tooth includes absorbing a force at a bumper located the engagement component, and therein providing a cushion effect to the patient's mouth by absorbing force applied via the applied torque and providing a pivot point about which the torque is applied to the tooth.

A method comprising:

• engaging a hook with a side surface of, and applying a torque to, a tooth from a patient's mouth via an engagement component that includes the hook, and aligning the hook with the side surface of the tooth, wherein the engagement component includes a coupling configured and arranged to couple to a plurality of different types of hooks, each hook being configured and arranged with a curvature that matches curvature of a particular type of tooth and that facilitates engagement between the hook and tooth for applying a translated torque to the tooth, each hook being configured and arranged with a curvature that matches a curvature of a tooth that is different than tooth curvature that other ones of the hooks match;
• translating a received input torque, via an input torque component which includes a handle and via a shaft, to the engagement component;
• and
• limiting the torque applied to the tooth, relative to input torque provided via the input torque component, using a torque controller, which is separate from the shaft and arranged at a proximal end of the shaft to provide different selectable torque limits, with the input torque component and the engagement component.