Custom-fitted orthodontic bracket manufactured by computerized and selective removal of portions of a bracket

A method for manufacturing an orthodontic bracket for improved alignment of the teeth comprising the following:

• an act of obtaining current three-dimensional digital representation of the teeth upon which a plurality of bracket bases are to be affixed;
• an act of generating an improved digital representation of the teeth that represents better alignment of the teeth;
• an act of identifying a position of an orthodontic bracket on each of a plurality of the teeth;
• and
• for at least one of the orthodontic brackets, performing the following:
• an act of identifying an orientation of an archwire slot to be formed in the orthodontic bracket given the current three-dimensional representation, the improved digital representation, and the identified position of the bracket on the corresponding tooth;
• and
• an act of performing computerized direction of the cutting of the archwire slot to obtain the identified orientation of the archwire slot.

A computer program product for manufacturing an orthodontic bracket for improved alignment of the teeth, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon the following:

• computer-executable instructions for obtaining current three-dimensional digital representation of the teeth upon which a plurality of bracket bases are to be affixed;
• computer-executable instructions for generating an improved digital representation of the teeth that represents better alignment of the teeth;
• computer-executable instructions for identifying a position of an orthodontic bracket on each of a plurality of the teeth;
• and
• for at least one of the orthodontic brackets, computer-executable instructions for performing the following:
• identifying an orientation of an archwire slot to be formed in the orthodontic bracket given the current three-dimensional representation, the improved digital representation, and the identified position of the bracket on the corresponding tooth;
• and
• performing computerized direction of the cutting of the archwire slot to obtain the identified orientation of the archwire slot.