Orthodontic appliance
OwnerKinya Fujitainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an arch wire holder, in orthodontic appliances, composed of a bracket which is preferably to the lingual side of a tooth and has a slot for receiving a wire and which supports a rotatable locking member which is rotatably engaged with the bracket to open and close the slot thereby permitting the wire to be secured to or detached from the slot. Using such a wire holder, attachment and detachment of arch wire can easily and positively be effected in a single simple operation so that time required for dental treatment can be reduced, and further medical accidents can be prevented.
Claims5
An orthodontic appliance wherein a plurality of wire holders is affixed, one to a tooth in a dental patient's mouth, and at least one correcting arch wire is engaged with said wire holders for applying corrective forces to irregular teeth, comprising:
- a wire holder having a base for affixiation to a lingual surface of a tooth;
- a bracket attached to said base and provided with at least one slot that opens in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of the corresponding affixed tooth for receiving said arch wire therein;
- an arch wire locking member rotatably supported along a first portion by said bracket such that in a first predetermined position of said locking member said arch wire may be freely received in said slot or removed therefrom and said locking member has a second predetermined locked position to securely retain said arch wire within said slot;
- and
- locking means integral with said wire holder for positively engaging a second portion of said locking member for secure locking thereof in said second locked position thereby to ensure secure retention of said arch wire in said slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.