Modular system for customized orthodontic appliances

A set of at least three custom lingual orthodontic brackets for a corresponding at least three pre-identified different functional teeth of a specific pre-identified patient each having different shaped lingual facing tooth surfaces therebetween and each pre-identified to separately receive one of the set of at least three custom lingual orthodontic brackets, each separate one of the at least three custom lingual orthodontic brackets of the set separately comprising:

• means for manually mounting the respective bracket by hand to a specific pre-identified portion of an extent of a lingual facing tooth surface of a respective pre-identified tooth of a specific pre-identified patient defining a complementary bracket receiving tooth surface, comprising a bracket bonding surface to directly bond the respective bracket to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface, an entire extent of the bracket bonding surface having a three-dimensional surface shape forming a negative of a three-dimensional surface shape of an entire extent of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface prior to being mounted thereto and having a surface area being both sufficiently large to facilitate the manual mounting of the respective bracket to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and sufficiently small so as to provide spacing between an outer parameter edge of the bracket bonding surface of the respective bracket when mounted to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface of the respective pre-identified tooth and an adjacent outer parameter edge of the bracket bonding surface of each adjacent bracket when mounted on the respective complementary bracket receiving tooth surface of the respective adjacent tooth;
• and
• means for receiving an archwire connected to the means for manually mounting the respective bracket by hand, comprising an archwire receiving slot positioned to receive an archwire, the archwire receiving slot having a first and a second opposed sidewall, a slot base, and a slot opening opposite the slot base, the archwire receiving slot positioned so that a plane extending between a center of the slot base and a center of the slot opening is substantially parallel to a surface plane of the first opposed sidewall and a surface plane of the second opposed sidewall and substantially parallel to both a surface plane of a major extent of a directly adjacent portion of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and a surface plane of an extent of a corresponding portion of the bracket bonding surface located between the archwire receiving slot and the major extent of the directly adjacent portion of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and intersects a surface plane of a major extent of a portion of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface offset from the directly adjacent portion thereof defining an offset portion and a surface plane of an extent of a corresponding portion of the bonding surface complementary with the offset portion when the respective bracket is mounted to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface on the respective pre-identified tooth, the archwire receiving slot further positioned so that the plane extending between the center of the slot base and the center of the slot opening intersects an occlusal plane of a pre-identified jawbone of the pre-identified patient carrying the at least three pre-identified different functional teeth at an oblique angle relative to the occlusal plane when the respective bracket is mounted to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface of the respective pre-identified tooth and when the pre-identified tooth is in a finished position, to thereby reduce overall bracket body thickness.

A custom lingual orthodontic bracket for a specific pre-identified patient pre-identified to receive the lingual orthodontic bracket, the bracket comprising:

• a bracket bonding pad having a bracket bonding surface to directly bond the bracket to a specific pre-identified portion of an extent of a lingual facing tooth surface of a pre-identified tooth of a specific pre-identified patient defining a complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and a non-tooth facing surface comprising a surface positioned opposite the bracket bonding surface to define an opposite surface, an entire extent of the bracket bonding surface having a three-dimensional surface shape forming a negative of a three-dimensional surface shape of an entire extent of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface prior to being mounted thereto and having a surface area being both sufficiently large to facilitate the manual mounting of the bracket to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and sufficiently small so as to provide spacing between an outer parameter edge of the bracket bonding pad of the bracket when mounted to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface of the pre-identified tooth and an adjacent outer parameter edge of a bracket bonding pad of each adjacent bracket when mounted on a respective complementary bracket receiving tooth surface of each respective adjacent tooth;
• and
• an archwire receiving slot having a first opposed sidewall being formed by an adjacent portion of the non-tooth facing surface of the bracket bonding pad, a second opposed sidewall, a slot base extending between the first and the second opposed sidewalls and connected to the non-tooth facing surface of the bracket bonding pad, and a slot opening opposite the slot base, the archwire receiving slot positioned so that a plane extending between a center of the slot base and a center of the slot opening is substantially parallel to a surface plane of the first opposed sidewall and a surface plane of the second opposed sidewall and substantially parallel to both a surface plane of a major extent of a directly adjacent portion of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and a surface plane of an extent of a corresponding portion of the bracket bonding surface of the bracket bonding pad located between the first opposed sidewall and the major extent of the directly adjacent portion of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface and intersects a surface plane of a major extent of a portion of the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface offset from the directly adjacent portion defining an offset portion and a surface plane of an extent of a corresponding portion of the bonding surface complementary with the offset portion when the bracket is mounted to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface on the pre-identified tooth, the archwire receiving slot further positioned so that the plane extending between the center of the slot base in the center of the slot opening intersects an occlusal plane of a pre-identified jawbone of the pre-identified patient carrying the pre-identified tooth when the bracket is mounted to the complementary bracket receiving tooth surface of the pre-identified tooth and when the pre-identified tooth is in a finished position, to thereby reduce overall bracket body thickness, a combination of the slot base and the second opposed sidewall having a substantially L-shape when viewed from a lateral side of the bracket.