Lifestyle bracket system having interchangeable ligation covers

A kit of orthodontic brackets that permits selective intraoral attachment of a desired ligation cover to a selected bracket base from among a plurality of ligation covers and bracket bases, the kit comprising:

• a plurality of bracket bases, each bracket base having an arch wire slot formed therein configured to receive an arch wire, each bracket base including a link guide having a guide recess for releasable attachment to one of a plurality of interchangeable ligation covers of the bracket system and so as to permit selective attachment to and intraoral removal from the bracket base of each of the plurality of different ligation covers of the bracket system while the bracket base remains attached to a tooth;
• and
• a plurality of interchangeable ligation covers, each ligation cover including a pair of inwardly oriented pins with a gap in between for releasable hinged attachment to the guide recess of one of the plurality of bracket bases, the pins and link guide together providing a hinge such that once one of the interchangeable ligation covers is attached to the one of the bracket bases the ligation cover can be selectively pivoted about the hinge relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot of the bracket base to which the ligation cover is attached;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of interchangeable ligation covers has a different color and/or is formed of a different material relative to at least one other of the plurality of interchangeable ligation covers.

An orthodontic bracket kit that permits selective intraoral attachment of a desired ligation cover, from among a plurality of different ligation covers, to a bracket base, the kit comprising:

• a bracket base for attachment to a tooth, the bracket base including an upper surface with an arch wire slot formed therein and adapted to receive an arch wire, the bracket base including a link guide having a guide recess for releasable attachment to each of a plurality of interchangeable ligation covers one at a time;
• a first interchangeable ligation cover including a pair of first inwardly oriented pins with a gap in between for releasable hinged attachment to the link guide of the bracket base, the first pins and link guide forming a first hinge when the first ligation cover is attached to the bracket base so that the first ligation cover can be selectively pivoted about the hinge relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot wherein the first interchangeable ligation cover is removable from the bracket base while the bracket base remains attached to a tooth, thereby permitting intraoral removal and replacement of the first interchangeable ligation cover with another cover;
• and
• a second interchangeable ligation cover including a pair of second inwardly oriented pins with a gap in between for releasable attachment to the link guide of the bracket base upon removal of the first interchangeable ligation cover from the bracket base, the second pins and link guide forming a second hinge when the second ligation cover is attached to the bracket base so that the second ligation cover can be selectively pivoted about the second hinge relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot the second interchangeable ligation having a color and/or being made from a material that differs from the color and/or material of the first interchangeable cover.