Molar orthodontic brackets having a hinged bracket cover

• US 20050244775A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Abels, Norbert, Backes, Claus H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,396,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/285 Locking by rotation

Abstract

Self-ligating molar orthodontic brackets are used to terminate an arch wire during an orthodontic procedure. The molar orthodontic brackets include a bracket base, an arch wire slot in the bracket base oriented toward the occlusal edge of a tooth during use, and ligation cover selectively movable between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot. The ligation cover can be hingedly attached to the base by an integral film hinge such that the molar bracket may be injection molded as a single piece of plastic. The self-ligating nature of the molar brackets and the orientation of the arch wire slots make insertion of an arch wire into the arch wire slots of the molar brackets much simpler compared to tube brackets.

Claims

1. An orthodontic bracket suitable for use as a molar bracket in combination with a plurality of non-molar brackets in retaining an arch wire during an orthodontic procedure, the orthodontic bracket comprising:

a bracket base sized and shaped for use with a person'"'"'s molar;

a single arch wire slot disposed in said bracket base and oriented so as to generally point gingivally-occlusally relative to a tooth to which it is attached; and

a ligation cover attached to the bracket base, the ligation cover being selectively movable between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot.

2. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the ligation cover is hingedly attached to the bracket base by an integral film hinge comprising a localized region of reduced cross-sectional thickness such that the orthodontic bracket is integrally formed together as a single piece.

3. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 2, wherein the orthodontic bracket is molded as a single piece of plastic.

4. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, further comprising a latch mechanism that acts to selectively lock the ligation cover to the bracket base in the closed, ligating position.

5. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 4, the latch mechanism comprising:

an angled keyway disposed mesially-distally along a side of the bracket base opposite to where the ligation cover is hingedly attached to the bracket base; and

a corresponding locking tongue disposed mesially-distally along an end of the ligation cover opposite to where the ligation cover is hingedly attached to the bracket base.

6. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, the ligation cover including a bearing protrusion that extends toward the arch wire slot when the ligation cover is in the closed, ligating position.

7. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, further including a hook for securing one end of a class II elastic.

8. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the ligation cover forms a uniform, smooth surface along the top of the orthodontic bracket when the cover is in the closed, ligating position.

9. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the mesial-distal length of at least one of the bracket base or ligation cover is at least about 150% of its occlusal-gingival width.

10. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the mesial-distal length of at least one of the bracket base or ligation cover is at least about 150% of its occlusal-gingival width.

11. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the mesial-distal length of at least one of the bracket base or ligation cover is at least about 200% of its occlusal-gingival width.

12. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the ligation cover and bracket base has a mesial-distal length that is greater than its occlusal-gingival width.

13. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the arch wire slot is oriented so that it points substantially vertically when the bracket is placed on a molar during use.

14. An orthodontic bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein the arch wire slot is angled relative to a tooth surface to which the bracket is attached so as to include an opening that partially points away from a tooth to which the orthodontic bracket is attached during use while still generally pointing gingivally-occlusally.

18. A kit for use in providing orthodontic treatment, comprising:

a plurality of orthodontic brackets, at least one of the orthodontic brackets comprising a self-ligating molar bracket according to claim 1 and at least one other of the orthodontic brackets comprising a non-molar bracket having an arch wire slot that generally points lingually-labially relative to a tooth to which it is attached.

19. A kit as recited in claim 18, wherein the kit includes a first self-ligating molar bracket configured for placement on a first molar and a second self-ligating molar bracket configured for placement on a second molar.

20. A kit as recited in claim 18, the kit comprising at least one non-self-ligating non-molar bracket.

21. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein said kit comprises at least one self-ligating non-molar bracket.

15. A method for ligating an end of an arch wire during an orthodontic procedure, comprising;

placing a plurality of orthodontic brackets onto a patient'"'"'s teeth, at least one of the orthodontic brackets comprising a self-ligating molar bracket and at least one other of the orthodontic brackets comprising a non-molar bracket having an arch wire slot that generally points lingually-labially relative to a tooth to which it is attached, the self-ligating molar bracket comprising;

a bracket base sized and shaped for use with a person'"'"'s molar;

an arch wire slot disposed in said bracket base and oriented so as to generally point gingivally-occlusally relative to a tooth to which it is attached; and

a ligation cover attached to the bracket base, the ligation cover being selectively movable between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot;

inserting an arch wire into arch wire slots associated with the orthodontic brackets,

the arch wire being inserted into the non-molar bracket in a generally labial-lingual direction,

the arch wire being inserted into the self-ligating molar bracket in a generally occlusal-gingival direction while the ligation cover is in the open, non-ligating position; and

moving the ligation cover of the molar bracket into the closed, ligating position in order to ligate and retain the arch wire within the arch wire slot of the self-ligating molar bracket.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the method comprises placing at least one self-ligating non-molar bracket onto a tooth of the patient.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the method comprises placing at least one non-self-ligating non-molar bracket onto a tooth of the patient.

22. An orthodontic bracket suitable for use as a molar bracket in combination with a plurality of non-molar brackets in retaining an arch wire during an orthodontic procedure, the orthodontic bracket comprising:

a bracket base sized and shaped for use with a person'"'"'s molar;

an arch wire slot disposed in said bracket base and oriented so as to generally point gingivally-occlusally relative to a tooth to which it is attached;

at least one auxiliary tunnel disposed through said bracket base; and

a ligation cover attached to the bracket base, the ligation cover being selectively movable between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot.

23. An orthodontic bracket suitable for use as a molar bracket in combination with a plurality of non-molar brackets in retaining an arch wire during an orthodontic procedure, the orthodontic bracket comprising:

a bracket base sized and shaped for use with a person'"'"'s molar;

an arch wire slot disposed in said bracket base and oriented so as to generally point gingivally-occlusally relative to a tooth to which it is attached; and

a ligation cover attached to the bracket base, the ligation cover being selectively movable between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot;

wherein the mesial-distal length of at least one of the bracket base or ligation cover is greater than its occlusal-gingival width.