Modular system for customized orthodontic appliances

A method of manufacturing a canted archwire, comprising the steps of:

• defining the location of a set of bracket slots for a set of brackets in three-dimensional space with the aid of a computer, wherein said bracket slots are oriented substantially parallel to the surface of the teeth in the location of where said brackets are to be bonded to said teeth;
• supplying a wire bending robot with information corresponding to said location of said set of bracket slots and/or said brackets;
• and
• bending an archwire with said wire bending robot so as to have a shape corresponding to said location of said bracket slots, wherein said archwire has a canted configuration relative to an occlusal plane such that said archwire is oriented substantially parallel to said tooth surfaces.

A method of designing a customized orthodontic bracket for a patient with the aid of a computer, said bracket having a bracket bonding pad, wherein the computer stores or has access to a three-dimensional model of portions of teeth of the patient to which said bracket will be bonded and either stores, or has access to, a library of virtual bracket bodies, comprising the steps of:

• determining an area of a tooth at which said bracket bonding pad is to be attached to said tooth;
• determining a three-dimensional shape of a tooth-facing surface of said bracket bonding pad, wherein said three-dimensional shape conforms to the three-dimensional shape of said tooth;
• determining the three-dimensional shape of a second, opposite surface of said bracket bonding pad;
• obtaining a bracket body from said library;
• and
• uniting said bracket body with said bracket bonding pad to form one virtual three-dimensional object representing a bracket.

A method of designing and manufacturing a customized orthodontic bracket, comprising the steps of:

• a) storing a digital representation of portions of the patient's dentition in a computer;
• b) accessing a library of virtual three-dimensional bracket bodies in said computer;
• c) determining the shape and configuration of a bracket bonding pad, said bracket bonding pad having a tooth-facing surface conforming substantially exactly to corresponding three-dimensional surfaces of a tooth;
• d) combining a bracket body from said library of bracket bodies with said bracket bonding pad to thereby create an individual, customized orthodontic bracket;
• e) exporting digital data representing said customized orthodontic bracket from said computer to a manufacturing system for manufacturing said customized orthodontic bracket;
• and
• f) manufacturing said customized orthodontic bracket.

A method of designing a customized bracket for an individual patient with a computer, comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting a virtual bracket bonding pad for a tooth of said patient from a library of virtual bracket bonding pads;
• b) selecting a virtual bracket body for said tooth from a library of virtual bracket bodies;
• and
• c) uniting the virtual bracket bonding pad with the virtual bracket body.