Elastomeric securing means for orthodontic appliances

Abstract

An elastomeric device for use with an orthodontic appliance of the type wherein an archwire is inserted in the archwire slot formed in a bracket, attachable to a patient's tooth, which has hook-shaped projections formed therein. The elastomeric device includes a unit having a closed loop portion which is stretchable over the projections for holding the archwire to the bottom of the slot, and a cap portion integrally molded with the loop portion for covering the bracket. The cap portion protects the oral cavity of the patient against irritation from the rough surfaces of the bracket, keeps food particles from becoming lodged in the crevices of the bracket, and enhances the appearance of the overall appliance by hiding the bracket from view. The elastomeric device may be in the form of a single unit or in the form of an integrally molded chain-like arrangement of such units.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.