Orthodontic bracket for visual positioning

An orthodontic bracket configured for placing on a tooth that is a unique one of the teeth of any of a plurality of patients, an orthodontic appliance comprising:

• a bonding base adapted to be secured with adhesive to the facial side of said tooth of a patient;
• an archwire support extending rigidly from the base and having an archwire slot so positioned and oriented therein as to move said tooth to a predetermined treatment position and orientation when the base is centered on the facial side of said tooth;
• the base having a perimeter that is visually perceivable when placed against the facial side of the toot and has a shape that is a scaled reduction of the characteristic outline of said unique one of the teeth when viewed from the facial side of said tooth, whereby the base is centered and aligned on the facial side of said tooth when the perimeter of the base is congruent with the outline of the toot;
• the archwire support including a distal tie wing and a mesial tie wing, the tie wings being each fixed to said base and each including a gingival tip and an occlusal tip, the tips defining between tern an archwire slot, each of the tie wings having parallel distal and mesial sides, the archwire slot providing a reference line, the sides of the tie wings being inclined at an oblique angle to the reference line;
• whereby the archwire slot is orientated parallel to the occlusal plane of a patient and the tie wings are inclined at an oblique angle to the reference line and generally vertically disposed parallel to the tooth long axis when the base is placed on the facial side of said tooth and the position and orientation of the bracket is visually adjusted on said toot so that the perimeter of the base is congruent with the outline of said tooth;
• and
• the gingival tips and occiusal tips of the tie wings having respectively top and bottom surfaces which are in mutual alignment parallel to the reference line and substantially equidistant therefrom;
• and
• the tie wings together forming a rhomboidal configuration and the axis of the archwire slot bisecting the tie wings so that the gingival tips and the occiusal tips are of equal size.