Self-ligating orthodontic bracket with an external rotatable closure member

An orthodontic bracket for coupling an archwire with a tooth, comprising:

• a bracket body that includes an archwire slot;
• and
• a rotatable member that is coupled to the bracket body and is rotatable relative to the bracket body about a central axis that intersects the archwire slot from an opened position to each of (i) a first closed position in which the rotatable member and the archwire slot define a first lumen having a first dimension, (ii) a second closed position in which the rotatable member and the archwire slot define a second lumen having a second dimension, and (iii) a third closed position in which the rotatable member and the archwire slot define a third lumen having a third dimension,
• wherein each of the first dimension, the second dimension, and the third dimension is different.

An orthodontic bracket for coupling an archwire with a tooth, comprising:

• a bracket body that includes an archwire slot;
• and
• a rotatable member that is coupled to the bracket body and is rotatable relative thereto from an opened position to each of a plurality of closed positions for retaining an archwire in the archwire slot,
• wherein, when a first archwire is inserted into the archwire slot and the rotatable member is rotated to a first closed position, the rotatable member actively ligates the first archwire, and when the rotatable member is rotated to a second closed position and to a third closed position, the rotatable member passively ligates the first archwire, and
• wherein, when a second archwire having at least one cross sectional dimension larger than a corresponding cross sectional dimension of the first archwire is inserted into the archwire slot and the rotatable member is rotated to the second closed position or to the third closed position, the rotatable member actively ligates the second archwire.

A method of moving a tooth to effect orthodontic treatment using an orthodontic bracket, comprising:

• inserting an archwire into an archwire slot in the orthodontic bracket;
• rotating a rotatable member of the orthodontic bracket to a first closed position to passively ligate the archwire within the archwire slot;
• rotating the rotatable member to a second closed position to passively ligate the archwire within the archwire slot;
• and
• rotating the rotatable member to a third closed position to actively ligate the archwire within the archwire slot.