Orthodontic appliance with low profile clip

A self-ligating orthodontic appliance comprising:

• a base having an outer surface for attachment to a tooth and an inner surface;
• a body extending outwardly from the inner surface, the body including a pair of spaced-apart side walls and a bottom wall defining an archwire slot with a slot opening, the archwire slot and the slot opening extending in a generally mesial-distal direction, and wherein the side walls extend in respective reference planes that are generally parallel to each other;
• and
• at least one resilient clip adjacent the body for releasably retaining an archwire in the archwire slot, the clip comprising a fixed portion secured to the body in a location adjacent the bottom wall and a free portion extending along a portion of the bottom wall, one of the side walls and the slot opening, wherein the free portion includes a head portion that terminates in a location between the reference planes, and wherein the fixed and free portions join each other in a location between the reference planes.

A method of assembling an orthodontic appliance comprising:

• providing a resilient clip having an archwire receiving region;
• providing a body having an archwire slot extending across one side of the body, a cavity complemental to at least a portion of the clip, and a tab partially extending across the cavity;
• positioning the clip next to the cavity such that the archwire receiving region is aligned with the archwire slot;
• urging the clip toward the cavity to press fit a portion of the clip into the body while deflecting another portion of the clip around the tab, wherein the tab provides an interference fit to retain the clip against the body when the clip returns toward a relaxed configuration.