Shape memory self-ligating orthodontic brackets

A self-ligating orthodontic bracket comprising:

• a base having front and rear surfaces, two pair of spaced opposing tie wings, each tie wing having a post member extending from said front surface of said base in spaced relationship with respect to a post member of an opposing tie wing, each pair of opposing tie wing post members define an archwire guide slot therebetween of a first dimension to slidingly receive an archwire therein, each pair of opposing tie wings including head portions and at least one archwire retainer flange formed as a portion of a generally U-shaped archwire retainer having opposing side walls and being seated between opposing tie wing post members in said archwire guide slot therebetween, said at least one archwire retainer flange being of a size to be seated in a single archwire guide slot between one of said two pair of tie wings, said archwire retainer flange extending from one of said side walls of said archwire retainer so that said archwire retainer flange does not extend into said head portions of said tie wings, said archwire retainer flange extending from at least one of said tie wings in a predetermined position relative to said archwire guide slot to retain an archwire within said archwire guide slot, said archwire retainer flange having an arcuate surface for contacting said archwire as said archwire is slidingly received in said archwire guide slot, and said at least one archwire retainer flange being formed of a material such that said at least one archwire retainer flange exhibits flexibility and shape memory effect allowing said at least one archwire retainer flange to move relative to said archwire guide slot to permit insertion or removal of an archwire relative to said archwire guide slots afterwhich said at least one archwire retainer flange returns to its predetermined position, said arcuate surface being arcuate in a plane generally parallel to said base.