Orthodontic brackets comprising a filled and fiber-reinforced polymeric material
OwnerNorbert Abels, Claus H. Backesinventors
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Abstract
An orthodontic bracket includes a bracket base and an arch wire slot in the bracket base. The bracket base comprises a polymer resin that is reinforced with glass or ceramic fibers and/or a particulate filler (e.g., a glass spherical particle filler). The bracket may include a ligation cover, which may be hingedly connected to the bracket base and rotatable relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position. The combination of reinforcing fibers and particulate filler provides substantially increased overall strength and durability while providing increased flexibility and toughness to the bracket.
Claims21
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a bracket base;
- and
- at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein;
- wherein the orthodontic bracket comprises a filled polymer resin composition reinforced with c-glass fibers and spherical filler particles.
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a bracket base;
- and
- at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein;
- wherein the orthodontic bracket comprises a polymer resin composition reinforced with c-glass fibers, optionally in combination with substantially spherical filler particles, wherein the polymer resin composition comprises at least one crystalline polymer.
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a bracket base;
- and
- at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein;
- wherein the orthodontic bracket comprises a polymer resin composition reinforced with c-glass fibers, optionally in combination with substantially spherical filler particles, wherein the polymer resin composition comprises at least one amorphous polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.