Orthodontic bracket with a biased ligating member

An orthodontic bracket comprising:

• a bracket body mountable to a tooth, the bracket body including an archwire slot extending from a first side of the bracket body to an opposite second side, the archwire slot dimensioned to receive an archwire therein, the bracket body further including a seat;
• a ligating member mountable to the bracket body and movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein at least a portion of the ligating member extends over the archwire slot to retain the archwire within the archwire slot when the ligating member is in the closed position, and wherein the ligating member is offset from the archwire slot to provide access to the archwire when the ligating member is in the open position, the ligating member including a slot formed on an underside thereof and a ridge formed within the slot, the ridge including a stop surface and a guiding surface, the ligating member further including a pocket formed on the underside thereof between a front wall of the ligating member and the stop surface of the ridge;
• and
• a resilient biasing member including a stem having a first portion inserted into and coupled to the seat of the bracket body and a second portion extending from the first portion of the stem, the stem extending in a generally upright direction from the seat toward the underside of the ligating member, the resilient biasing member further including a cross member extending from the second portion of the stem, the cross member including a projection formed thereon, wherein the projection is positioned within the pocket of the ligating member when the ligating member is in the open position, and wherein the projection abuts the guiding surface of the ridge to retain the ligating member in the closed position.

An orthodontic bracket comprising:

• a bracket body mountable to a tooth, the bracket body including an archwire slot extending from a first side of the bracket body to an opposite second side, the archwire slot dimensioned to receive an archwire therein, the bracket body further including a seat;
• a ligating member mountable to the bracket body and movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein at least a portion of the ligating member extends over the archwire slot to retain the archwire within the archwire slot when the ligating member is in the closed position, and wherein the ligating member is offset from the archwire slot to provide access to the archwire when the ligating member is in the open position, the ligating member including a first surface and a second surface formed on an underside thereof;
• and
• a resilient biasing member including a stem having a first portion inserted into and coupled to the seat of the bracket body and a second portion extending from the first portion of the stem, the stem extending in a generally upright direction from the seat toward the first surface and the second surface on the underside of the ligating member, the resilient biasing member further including a cross member extending from the second portion of the stem, the cross member including a projection formed thereon, wherein the resilient biasing member, including the stem, the cross member, and the projection, is formed as a unitary, integral component from a flat stock material such that the stem, the cross member, and the projection each include a first planar surface and an opposite second planar surface separated by an edge surface extending therebetween, the edge surface having a width that is smaller than a respective width of the first planar surface and the second planar surface, and wherein the projection abuts the first surface on the underside of the ligating member to retain the ligating member in the open position, and wherein the projection abuts the second surface on the underside of the ligating member to retain the ligating member in the closed position.