Orthodontic appliance
DCFirst Claim
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1. An orthodontic appliance comprising:
- a base having an inwardly facing surface on one side thereof adapted for attaching the appliance and a body portion extending outwardly from the other side of said base;
said body portion having one embodiment substantially shorter than a corresponding dimension of the base;
a pair of wings, each wing extending in opposite directions from the body portion and having a length extending substantially beyond the body portion to define wire receiving slots between the base and the ends of said wings;
the wings defining an outwardly facing domed surface which is curved in at least one direction and which thereby presents a comfortable surface to the mouth tissue of the patient; and
a cross slot extending into said body portion between the wings and configured to receive therein a dental appliance of predetermined dimensions, the cross slot having a curved surface between the bottom of the cross slot and the sides of the cross slot to reduce stress concentrations.
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Abstract
An orthodontic appliance is molded either from a ceramic material or metal. When a ceramic material is used, the color of the appliance may be coordinated with that of a tooth. The appliance has a domed outwardly facing surface which is entirely curved in both the length and width directions and which is free of angular edge surfaces. The appliance may be adapted either for bonding directly to a tooth surface or for welding to a tooth encircling band. A cross slot extends into the body of the appliance, the cross slot having a curved surface between the bottom and sides of the cross slot.
81 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An orthodontic appliance comprising:
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a base having an inwardly facing surface on one side thereof adapted for attaching the appliance and a body portion extending outwardly from the other side of said base; said body portion having one embodiment substantially shorter than a corresponding dimension of the base; a pair of wings, each wing extending in opposite directions from the body portion and having a length extending substantially beyond the body portion to define wire receiving slots between the base and the ends of said wings; the wings defining an outwardly facing domed surface which is curved in at least one direction and which thereby presents a comfortable surface to the mouth tissue of the patient; and a cross slot extending into said body portion between the wings and configured to receive therein a dental appliance of predetermined dimensions, the cross slot having a curved surface between the bottom of the cross slot and the sides of the cross slot to reduce stress concentrations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An orthodontic appliance comprising:
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a base having an inwardly facing surface on one side thereof contoured for bonding directly to the tooth of a patient; said base including a body portion extending from the other side of the base, the body portion having a length substantially shorter than the length of the base and a width substantially equal to the width of the base; a wing extending in each of opposite directions from the body portion, each wing having a length extending substantially beyond the length of the body to define wire receiving slots between the base and the ends of said wings; the wings defining an outwardly facing dome surface which is generally curved in at least one direction and which thereby presents a comfortable surface to mouth tissues; a cross slot extending into said body portion between the wings and configured to receive therein a dental appliance of predetermined dimension, the cross slot having a curved surface between the bottom of the cross slot and the sides of the cross slot; and the entire appliance comprising a unitary, molded structure. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. The orthodontic appliance according to claim 16 wherein the appliance is colored in accordance with the color of a tooth.
Specification