Orthodontic appliance

A pre-engaging orthodontic bracket for attaching an archwire to a tooth comprising:

• a body having a lingual surface for attachment to a tooth, a pair of laterally spaced gingival tie wings and a pair of laterally spaced occlusal tie wings, said gingival and occlusal tie wings projecting from a labial surface of said body;
• an archwire slot extending mesiodistally across said body and between the gingival and occlusal tie wings at opposed mesial and distal sides of said body to accommodate an archwire;
• a locking shutter moveable relative to said body between an open position in which placement and removal of said archwire in said archwire slot is facilitated and a closed position in which placement and removal of said archwire in said archwire slot is inhibited;
• and
• a resilient shim having a first end attached to said shutter and a second end movable relative to said shutter, the shim being engageable with an archwire in said archwire slot when said shutter is in said closed position, said resilient shim having a convex lingual surface resiliently urging said archwire into said archwire slot to provide a continuous corrective force thereon.

A pre-engaging orthodontic bracket for attaching an archwire to a tooth comprising:

• a body having a lingual surface for attachment to a tooth, a pair of laterally spaced gingival tie wings and a pair of laterally spaced occlusal tie wings, said gingival and occlusal tie wings projecting from a labial surface of said body, the body defining generally vertical slots formed in the occlusal tie wings;
• an archwire slot extending mesiodistally across the said body and between the gingival and occlusal tie wings at opposed mesial and distal sides of said body to accommodate an archwire;
• a locking shutter slidable between an open position in which placement and removal of said archwire in said archwire slot is facilitated and a closed position in which placement and removal of said archwire is inhibited, the shutter being slidable into said slots, said shutter further including a U-shaped strap having a pair of arms extending through said slots and a bight bridging said arms below said occlusal tie wings, said bight acting as a handle to facilitate sliding movement of said shutter;
• and
• a plurality of springs, each of the springs being located in one of said slots whereby the springs constitute retaining means operable upon said shutter to releasably retain said shutter in said closed position and whereby the springs also constitute biasing means to urge said shutter to said closed position.