Orthodontic bracket and method
AssigneeRMO, Inc.
InventorJeffrey A. Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An edgewise bracket (10) is provided with notches (34, 36, 38 and 40) in wing tips (24, 25, 26 and 27), respectively. The notches (24, 25, 26 and 27) are generally concave and have a mesiodistal width slightly greater or slightly less than the thickness of an archwire retaining device (32) depending on whether the device (32) is a metallic wire or an elastomeric ligature. The archwire retaining device (32) is inserted into the notches (34, 36, 38, and 40) to retain an archwire (30) within a slot (28) which has a depth greater than a thickness of the archwire (30). The device (32) has selectively reduced undesired frictional contact with the archwire (30), and, therefore, frictional interference between the device (32) and the archwire (30), and the archwire (30) and the bracket (10) is reduced or eliminated.
Claims36
An improved edgewise orthodontic bracket of the type having a base for attachment to a tooth and at least one pair of tie wings extending therefrom, said at least one pair of tie wings defining a mesiodistal slot having a support floor surface for receiving an orthodontic archwire, wherein the improvement comprises:
- an occlusally facing notch and a gingivally facing notch on a periphery of said at least one pair of tie wings, wherein each of said notches of said at least one pair of tie wings is adapted for receiving a device for retaining the archwire in said slot, slopes upwardly from said periphery through at least a portion of one of said tie wings toward said slot, and has laterally displaced sidewall portions and a bottom portion which define a substantially arcuate surface, and wherein undesired frictional contact between the archwire and said device for retaining may be selectively reduced.
An edgewise orthodontic bracket, comprising:
- at least one pair of tie wings attachable to a base;
- a mesiodistal slot between oppositely facing wing tips of said at least one pair of tie wings for receiving an orthodontic archwire, said slot having an archwire supporting floor surface;
- and
- a notch in an outer peripheral edge of each of said wing tips of said at least one pair of tie wings, each of said notches of said at least one pair of tie wings being adapted for receiving a device for retaining said archwire, having a surface sloping upwardly from a peripheral of said tie wing toward said slot through said wing tip, and having a support landing proximate said slot, wherein said device for retaining can be attached to said tie wings by said notches to retain said archwire in said slot.
An edgewise orthodontic bracket, comprising:
- at least one pair of tie wings attachable to a base, each of said at least one pair of tie wings comprising an occlusally extending wing tip and a gingivally extending wing tip;
- a slot between said wing tips of said at least one pair of tie wings for receiving an orthodontic archwire, said slot having an archwire supporting floor surface, said slot further comprising convex sidewalls where said slot passes through said wing tips, wherein at least a portion of said supporting floor surface is convex where said slot passes through said wing tips;
- and
- an outwardly facing peripheral notch in each of said wing tips, each said notch of said at least one pair of tie wings being dimensioned to receive a device for retaining said archwire, wherein said device for retaining is attachable to the bracket by said notches to retain said archwire in said slot.
An improved edgewise orthodontic bracket of the type having a base for attachment to a tooth and at least one pair of protrusions extending therefrom defining a mesiodistal slot having a support floor surface for receiving an orthodontic archwire, wherein the improvement comprises:
- an occlusally facing notch and a gingivally facing notch on a periphery of said at least one pair of protrusions for receiving a device for retaining the archwire in the slot, each of said notches of said at least one pair of protrusions further comprising a surface sloping upwardly from said periphery toward the slot and through said protrusion and a support landing proximate the slot;
- wherein undesired frictional contact between the archwire and said device for retaining may be selectively reduced.
An edgewise orthodontic bracket, comprising:
- at least one pair of tie wings attachable to a base, said at least one pair of tie wings comprising an occlusally extending wing tip and a gingivally extending wing tip;
- a mesiodistal slot between said wing tips of said at least one pair of tie wings for receiving an orthodontic archwire, said slot having an archwire supporting floor surface;
- and
- an outwardly facing peripheral notch in each of said wing tips of said at least one pair of tie wings, wherein said notches are dimensioned to receive a device for retaining said archwire, and wherein each of said notches comprise:
- a concave shaped having a mesiodistal width;
- a surface sloping upwardly from a peripheral edge of said wing tips toward said slot;
- and
- a support landing proximate said slot;
- wherein said device for retaining is attachable to the bracket by said notches to retain said archwire in said slot.
An improved edgewise orthodontic bracket of the type having a base for attachment to a tooth and at least one pair of tie wings extending therefrom, said at least one pair of tie wings defining a mesiodistal slot having a support floor surface for receiving an orthodontic archwire, wherein the improvement comprises:
- an occlusally-facing notch and a gingivally-facing notch on a periphery of said at least one pair of tie wings, wherein each of said notches of said at least one pair of tie wings is adapted for receiving a device for retaining the archwire in the slot, said device for retaining comprising an elastomeric ligature, wherein said notches of said at least one pair of tie wings each have a mesiodistal width which is slightly less than a thickness of said elastomeric ligature, and wherein undesired frictional contact between the archwire and said device for retaining may be selectively reduced.
An improved edgewise orthodontic of the type having a base for attachment to a tooth and at least one pair of tie wings extending therefrom, said at least one pair of tie wings defining a mesiodistal slot having a support floor surface for receiving an orthodontic archwire, wherein the improvement comprises:
- an occlusally-facing notch and a gingivally-facing notch on a periphery of said at least one pair of tie wings, wherein each said notch of said at least one pair of tie wings splits wing tips on said at least one pair of tie wings into a mesial tip and a distal tip, one of said mesial or distal tips having an occlusal-gingival length greater than another of said mesial or distal tips, wherein each of said notches of said at least one pair of tie wings is adapted for receiving a device for retaining the archwire in the slot, and wherein undesired frictional contact between the archwire and said device for retaining may be selectively reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.