Cover for bracket of orthodontic appliance

A cover device for attachment to a bracket that is fixed to a patient's tooth in an orthodontic appliance that has an arch wire extending through the bracket, said cover device comprising:

• a main plate having an outer front face, a top end, a bottom end, opposite side edges and a rear side;
• a top claw integrally formed with the main plate and extending from the top end of the main plate and curling behind the main plate, and a bottom claw integrally formed with the main plate and extending from the bottom end of the main plate and curling behind the main plate, and the top and bottom claws both terminating at distal ends that are positioned in spaced, opposing relation to one another and spaced from the rear side of the main plate;
• the main plate being bowed outwardly from the top end to the bottom end when in a relaxed state, and the main plate being adapted to deform inwardly upon application of an external inward force to the front face with the top and bottom claws engaged against a front side of the bracket to cause the top and bottom claws to flex away from one another and snap over the bracket and into frictional engagement with the bracket, to thereby attach the cover device to the bracket and the cover being structured and configured to avoid contact with the arch wire of the orthodontic appliance when the cover device is attached to the bracket and the main plate is in the relaxed state;
• and
• an indicia pattern applied to the outer front face by polyfusion wherein the indicia pattern comprises a pigmented material including a finely divided pigment and polyolefin is permanently fused into the outer front face, and the indicia pattern providing an added layer of material thickness to the outer front face of the main plate to increase the structural integrity of the main plate and provide reinforcement that allows the cover device to resist forces of permanent mechanical deformation when the top and bottom claws flex away from one another and snap over the bracket, thereby providing a tighter fit of the cover device on the bracket.