Orthodontic brackets

An orthodontic bracket comprising a base and an archwire holder:

• a) the base having a rear surface and a front surface, the rear surface configured to be adhered to a surface of a tooth in use;
• b) the archwire holder having a rear holder surface and a front holder surface including a plurality of slots and a plurality of cooperating recesses,
• wherein the rear surface of the archwire holder is rotationally mounted to the front surface of the base to enable the archwire holder to rotate around a fixed axis which is perpendicular to the base to within +/−30°, and
• wherein each of the plurality of slots has a different internal angular shape to provide a different torque setting, each of the plurality of slots being configured to hold an archwire, and
• c) a releasable locking mechanism comprising a tab and a spring including a plurality of recesses or profiles, wherein the releasable locking mechanism is positioned in between the base and the archwire holder,
• wherein the releasable locking mechanism is configured to allow the archwire holder to be rotated around the fixed axis to position a slot of the plurality of slots and then lock in place the positioned slot,
• wherein the tab is resiliently biased against the archwire holder, the tab being configured to cooperate with a cooperating recess of the plurality of cooperating recesses on the archwire holder,
• wherein the spring is resiliently biased against the base and the plurality of recesses or profiles is configured to cooperate with cooperating components of the base and/or archwire holder;
• and
• wherein the orthodontic bracket is configured to enable a gross rotation position and a fine rotation position,
• wherein the gross rotation position establishes the amount and/or orientation of torque and a desired torque force is set by positioning a desired slot of the plurality of slots by rotating the archwire holder around the fixed axis and locking in place the archwire holder by engaging a cooperating recess of the plurality of cooperating recesses with the tab of the releasable locking mechanism, and wherein the torque force involves rotating the tooth around a substantially horizontal axis which is substantially parallel to the surface of the tooth to change the out-of-plane orientation of the long axis of the tooth, and
• wherein the fine rotation position establishes the amount and/or orientation of tip and a desired tip force is set by positioning a desired recess or profile of the plurality of recesses or profiles by rotating the spring around the fixed axis and locking in place the spring by engaging the cooperating components and the tip force involves rotating the tooth around an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tooth to change the in-plane orientation of a long axis of the tooth.