World Class Technology Corporation

Klaus Hagelganz

Juergen Bathen

Rolf Hagelganz

An orthodontic bracket having a base attachable to a tooth surface, with the base extending outward away from the tooth surface and forming an archwire slot sized to receive an archwire therewithin, and a removable archwire slot cover coined onto the base so as to cover the archwire slot and enable the bracket to function as a buccal tube when the cover is attached. The cover may be removed from the bracket base without removal of the bracket from the tooth surface so as to provide an open archwire slot for continued orthodontic treatment subsequent to removal of the removable archwire slot cover.

Convertible buccal tube orthodontic bracket

The present invention provides designs for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket. The self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot, a rotary ligating cover permitting access to the archwire slot, and one or more locking features for holding the rotary ligating cover in a closed position. In one embodiment, the bracket includes one or more locking tabs on the rotary ligating cover aligned in coplanar relation to and cooperatively mating with cutout portions in the base. In one embodiment, the bracket includes at least one resilient retention mechanism which may include one or more relief channels permitting flexing of at least portions of the rotary ligating cover adjacent to the one or more locking tabs.

Orthodontic bracket with rotary ligating cover

The present invention provides designs for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket. According to one embodiment, the self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot formed upon the base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire, a rotary ligating cover selectively rotatable between an open position permitting access to the archwire slot and a closed position covering the archwire slot, and one or more locking features for holding the rotary ligating cover in a closed position. In one embodiment, the bracket includes one or more locking tabs on the rotary ligating cover aligned in coplanar relation to the rotary ligating cover and cooperatively mating with cutout portions in the base. In one embodiment, the bracket includes at least one resilient retention mechanism adjacent to the one or more locking tabs and aligned in coplanar relation to the rotary ligating cover. The resilient retention mechanism may include one or more relief channels permitting flexing of at least portions of the rotary ligating cover adjacent to the one or more locking tabs.

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McMinnville, OR, United States of America

Klaus Hagelganz