Self-ligating orthodontic bracket with enhanced rotation control

Abstract

An orthodontic bracket includes an archwire slot with mesial and distal end sections that present archwire relief areas. The bracket also includes a latch movable between a slot-open position in order to enable insertion or removal of an archwire, and a slot-closed position in order to retain an archwire in the archwire slot. The bracket includes at least one flange that extends along at least a portion of the mesial and distal archwire end sections and over a portion of the latch in order to provide enhanced rotational control over the underlying tooth without undue deformation of the latch.

1 . An orthodontic bracket comprising: 
 a base;    a body extending from the base;    an archwire slot extending along the body, the archwire slot including a mesial end section, a distal end section and an intermediate section between the mesial end section and the distal end section, and wherein each of the mesial end section and the distal end section includes an archwire relief area having a greater occlusal-gingival width than the occlusal-gingival width of the intermediate section;    a latch movable relative to the body, the latch being movable to a slot-open position to enable insertion or removal of an archwire, the latch also being movable to a slot-closed position in order to retain the archwire in the archwire slot; and    at least one flange connected to the body and extending in a mesial-distal direction along at least a portion of each of the mesial end section and the distal end section, wherein the at least one flange extends over a portion of the latch in buccolabial relation to the latch when the latch is in the slot-closed position.    
     
     
         2 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the bracket includes two flanges, one of which extends along at least a portion of the mesial end section of the archwire slot and the other of which extends along at least a portion of the distal end section of the archwire slot.  
     
     
         3 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 2    and including a third flange that extends along at least a portion of the intermediate section.  
     
     
         4 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 3    wherein the third flange is integrally connected to the first flange and to the second flange.  
     
     
         5 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the at least one flange has a length in a mesial-distal direction that is at least as great as the length of adjacent portions of the latch when the latch is in a slot-closed position.  
     
     
         6 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the latch moves in a curved arc relative to the body.  
     
     
         7 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the latch moves along a generally straight path relative to the body.  
     
     
         8 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the latch comprises a section of wire.  
     
     
         9 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 8    wherein the wire has a loop-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         10 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 9    wherein the latch includes a gingival portion and occlusal portion, and wherein the latch is disconnected from the body by shifting at least one of the gingival portion and the occlusal portion toward the other.  
     
     
         11 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the bracket body includes a mesial side and a distal side, and wherein the latch extends past the mesial side in a mesial direction and also extends past the distal side in a distal direction.  
     
     
         12 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the latch is movable relative to the body in a generally mesial-distal direction.  
     
     
         13 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the latch has a generally U-shaped configuration and moves relative to the body in a generally gingival-occlusal direction.  
     
     
         14 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 13    wherein the latch is resilient.  
     
     
         15 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 13    wherein the body includes a channel extending in a generally gingival-occlusal direction, and wherein the latch has a lingual section that is received in the channel.  
     
     
         16 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 1    wherein the bracket includes two flanges, one of which extends along at least a portion of the mesial end section and the other of which extends along a portion of the distal end section, and wherein a space is presented between the two flanges.  
     
     
         17 . An orthodontic bracket comprising: 
 a base;    a body extending from the base;    an archwire slot extending along the body, the archwire slot including a mesial end section, a distal end section and an intermediate section between the mesial end section and the distal end section, and wherein each of the mesial end section and the distal end section includes an archwire relief area having a greater labial-lingual depth than the labial-lingual depth of the intermediate section;    a latch movable relative to the body, the latch being movable to a slot-open position to enable insertion or removal of an archwire, the latch also being movable to a slot-closed position in order to retain the archwire in the archwire slot; and    at least one flange connected to the body and extending in a mesial-distal direction along at least a portion of each of the mesial end section and the distal end section, wherein the at least one flange extends over a portion of the latch in buccolabial relation to the latch when the latch is in the slot-closed position.    
     
     
         18 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the bracket includes two flanges, one of which extends along at least a portion of the mesial end section of the archwire slot and the other of which extends along at least a portion of the distal end section of the archwire slot.  
     
     
         19 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 18    and including a third flange that extends along at least a portion of the intermediate section.  
     
     
         20 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 19    wherein the third flange is integrally connected to the first flange and to the second flange.  
     
     
         21 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the at least one flange has a length in a mesial-distal direction that is at least as great as the length of adjacent portions of the latch when the latch is in a slot-closed position.  
     
     
         22 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the latch moves in a curved arc relative to the body.  
     
     
         23 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the latch moves along a generally straight path relative to the body.  
     
     
         24 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the latch comprises a section of wire.  
     
     
         25 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 24    wherein the wire has a loop-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         26 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 25    wherein the latch includes a gingival portion and occlusal portion, and wherein the latch is disconnected from the body by shifting at least one of the gingival portion and the occlusal portion toward the other.  
     
     
         27 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the bracket body includes a mesial side and a distal side, and wherein the latch extends past the mesial side in a mesial direction and also extends past the distal side in a distal direction.  
     
     
         28 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 24    wherein the latch is movable relative to the body in a generally mesial-distal direction.  
     
     
         29 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the latch has a generally U-shaped configuration and moves relative to the body in a generally gingival-occlusal direction.  
     
     
         30 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 29    wherein the latch is resilient.  
     
     
         31 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 29    wherein the body includes a channel extending in a generally gingival-occlusal direction, and wherein the latch has a lingual section that is received in the channel.  
     
     
         32 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 17    wherein the bracket includes two flanges, one of which extends along at least a portion of the mesial end section and the other of which extends along a portion of the distal end section, and wherein a space is presented between the two flanges.  
     
     
         33 . An orthodontic bracket comprising: 
 a base;    a body extending from the base;    an archwire slot extending along the body in a generally mesial-distal direction;    a pair of elongated cavities extending along at least a portion of the archwire slot and located buccolabially of the archwire slot, one of the cavities extending along an occlusal side of the archwire slot and the other of the cavities extending along a gingival side of the archwire slot; and    a latch received in the cavities for retaining an archwire in the archwire slot.    
     
     
         34 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the cavities extend in generally parallel relationship to each other from one side of the bracket to another.  
     
     
         35 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch comprises a section of wire.  
     
     
         36 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 35    wherein the wire has a loop-shaped configuration.  
     
     
         37 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch has a gingival portion and an occlusal portion, and wherein the latch is disconnected from the body by shifting at least one of the gingival portion and the occlusal portion toward the other.  
     
     
         38 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the bracket body includes a mesial side and a distal side, and wherein the latch extends past the mesial side in a mesial direction and also extends past the distal side in a distal direction.  
     
     
         39 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch is movable relative to the body in a generally mesial-distal direction.  
     
     
         40 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch is non-releasably retained in one of the cavities and is releasably retained in the other cavity.  
     
     
         41 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch is movable in a curved arc relative to the body to a slot-open position to enable insertion or removal of an archwire from the archwire slot.  
     
     
         42 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch comprises a section of wire, and wherein the wire includes an opposed pair of legs that are curved for reception of a hand instrument.  
     
     
         43 . An orthodontic bracket according to    claim 33    wherein the latch comprises a section of wire, and wherein the body includes a notch extending from a buccolabial face of the body to one of the cavities in order to facilitate manipulation of the wire by a hand instrument.