Orthodontic appliance with non-sliding, tied archwire

Abstract

An orthodontic appliance can include an archwire, ties, and multiple orthodontic brackets. The archwire can include multiple male fasteners and interproximal loops. Each male fastener may be inserted into an orthodontic bracket and tied into place. The male fastener may not be able to slide relative to the orthodontic bracket after it is tied to the orthodontic bracket.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An orthodontic bracket, comprising:
 a base configured to be bonded to a surface of a tooth;   an archwire slot configured to receive a portion of an archwire, the slot comprising:
 a mesial portion, including a gingival sidewall and an occlusal sidewall positioned substantially opposite each other and configured to prevent a mesial leg of an archwire from moving in an occlusal or gingival direction; and 
 a distal portion, including a gingival sidewall and an occlusal sidewall positioned substantially opposite each other and configured to prevent a distal leg of an archwire from moving in an occlusal or gingival direction; and 
   a channel positioned between the mesial portion and the distal portion of the archwire slot and extending from the archwire slot in a direction substantially perpendicular to the archwire slot, the channel comprising medial and distal sidewalls and being configured to receive a male fastener portion of the archwire extending from the mesial and distal legs of the archwire.   
     
     
         11 . The orthodontic bracket of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the channel further comprises a floor and a ceiling positioned substantially opposite each other and configured to receive the male fastener portion of the archwire so that the male fastener portion cannot freely rotate around the axis of the mesial and/or distal leg of the archwire. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The orthodontic bracket of  claim 10 , wherein the mesial and distal sidewalls of the channel are separated by a distance approximately equal to a width of the male fastener along its widest portion, such that the male fastener cannot substantially move in a mesial or distal direction when inserted into the channel. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The orthodontic bracket of  claim 10 , further comprising an aperture in a floor of the bracket configured to receive at least a portion of the male fastener. 
     
     
         17 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The orthodontic bracket of  claim 10 , further comprising a gingival tie wing and an incisal tie wing positioned substantially opposite each other and each configured to secure a portion of a tie to the bracket, wherein at least one of the tie wings comprises a recess forming at least a portion of the channel. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The orthodontic bracket of  claim 10 , further comprising a stop extending between the mesial portion and the distal portion of the archwire slot, the stop comprising a mesial sidewall and a distal sidewall and having a width between the mesial sidewall and the distal sidewall less than a width of the channel between the mesial sidewall of the channel and the distal sidewall of the channel, the stop being configured to prevent substantial compression of the male fastener portion of the archwire within the channel. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . An orthodontic appliance, comprising:
 an archwire configured to engage the one or more orthodontic brackets, the archwire comprising a male fastener configured to engage one of the one or more brackets, wherein the male fastener comprises:
 a mesial leg; 
 a distal leg; and 
 a projection between the mesial leg and the distal leg, the projection extending laterally away from a longitudinal axis of the archwire; and 
   the one or more orthodontic brackets, wherein each of the one or more orthodontic brackets comprises:   a mesial slot configured to removably secure the mesial leg of the male fastener to the bracket and prevent movement of the mesial leg in the occlusal and gingival direction relative to the bracket;   a distal slot configured to removably secure the distal leg of the male fastener to the bracket and prevent movement of the distal leg in the occlusal and gingival direction relative to the bracket; and   a channel configured to receive at least a portion of the projection.   
     
     
         30 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the male fastener is a tubular attachment coupled to the archwire. 
     
     
         31 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the male fastener is formed by bends in the archwire and the projection comprises a mesial projection extending from the mesial leg; a distal projection extending from the distal leg; and a bend adjoining the distal projection and the mesial projection. 
     
     
         32 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 31 , wherein the male fastener comprises a teardrop shape wherein the mesial projection and the distal projection diverge away from each other as they extend from the mesial leg and the distal leg to the adjoining bend. 
     
     
         33 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 31 , wherein the male fastener comprises a V shape, wherein the mesial projection and the distal projection converge toward each other as they extend from the mesial leg and the distal leg to the adjoining bend. 
     
     
         34 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 31 , wherein the male fastener comprises a U shape, wherein the mesial projection and the distal projection extend substantially parallel to each other as they extend from the mesial leg and the distal leg to the adjoining bend. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the male fastener is configured to be removably engaged with one of the one or more brackets in a manner that prevents the archwire and bracket from sliding relative to one another. 
     
     
         37 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the male fastener is configured to exert a torque around a longitudinal axis of the mesial leg and distal leg of the archwire to one of the one or more brackets. 
     
     
         38 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the male fastener is configured to exert a force in a substantially mesial or distal direction on one of the one or more brackets. 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the male fastener is configured to exert a translational force on one of the one or more brackets in any of three orthogonal directions and configured to exert a torque on the bracket around any of three orthogonal axes. 
     
     
         42 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 31 , wherein the channel comprises a ceiling and a floor, and wherein a portion of the male fastener is configured to be received between the ceiling and the floor. 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein each of the one or more brackets comprises a tie configured to removably secure the mesial leg and the distal leg of the male fastener to the bracket. 
     
     
         47 . The orthodontic appliance of  claim 29 , wherein the archwire comprises one or more interproximal loops configured to be placed adjacent one of the one or more brackets for exerting a force the bracket. 
     
     
         48 . A method of orthodontically moving teeth, comprising:
 providing a plurality of brackets comprising: a mesial slot configured to removably secure a mesial leg of a male fastener of an archwire configured to follow a dental arch to the bracket and prevent movement of the mesial leg in the occlusal and gingival direction relative to the bracket; a distal slot configured to removably secure a distal leg of the male fastener to the bracket and prevent movement of the distal leg in the occlusal and gingival direction relative to the bracket; and a channel configured to receive at least a portion of a projection of the male fastener between the mesial leg and distal leg;   attaching the plurality of brackets to each tooth of a dental arch;   connecting the plurality of fasteners of the archwire configured to follow the dental arch to respective brackets, the archwire comprising interproximal structures between each and every one of the plurality of fasteners, each of the plurality of fasteners corresponding to a single bracket of the plurality of brackets; and   tying the archwire to the brackets to secure the archwires to the brackets such that after securing the archwires are unable to slide with respect to the brackets, thereby causing the teeth to move solely by force resulting from movement of the interproximal structures of the archwire in between the brackets.   
     
     
         49 . (canceled)