3m Innovative Properties Company

Allen J Stadtmiller

Jirina V Pospisil

William E Wyllie, Ii

An orthodontic appliance has a ceramic body and an archwire slot liner that is received in a channel of the body. The archwire slot liner has occlusal, gingival and lingual sections, and the lingual section is thicker than the occlusal or gingival section. The archwire slot liner helps resist fracture of the ceramic when the appliance is in use in the oral cavity, and yet need not adversely affect the aesthetic appearance of the appliance. A notch in the archwire slot liner is aligned with a channel in the body and provides a passageway for receiving a vertical auxiliary device.

Ceramic orthodontic appliance with archwire slot liner

An orthodontic assembly includes a band having a reference mark that is placed at certain orientation. An appliance connected to the band is oriented relative to the mark so that a proper, precise orientation of the appliance with respect to the band can be achieved. Optionally, the assembly may be made with automated techniques using robotic equipment, a vision system and a programmable logic controller.

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Arcadia, CA, United States of America

Allen J Stadtmiller