Northwest Orthodontics, Inc.

Unitek

Other

Maclay M Armstrong

Steven A Houser

Jeffrey A Armstrong

John Rice Rogers

A front body or plate for disposition in front of an arch wire is connected to a fork for disposition behind the arch wire by a crosstie forming a mounting that can be slid lengthwise of the arch wire to enable the fork to embrace the body of a tooth bracket behind the arch wire. A saddle projecting from the front body opposite the fork projects rearward to form a socket engageable with the arch wire by movement transversely of the arch wire. The prong of the fork nearer the rearward projection of the saddle may be shorter than the prong of the fork farther from the rearward projection to facilitate installation of the mounting.

Orthodontic hook mounting

Orthodontic elastomeric ligature manipulator

A force-producing connector connecting a force reaction orthodontic headcap or neckstrap and a J-hook for applying a force to a wearer's jaw includes a slide carrying a force-producing spring and guided for movement lengthwise of an elongated sidepiece base. The elongated base has a row of slots extending lengthwise of it selectively engageable by the toe of a pawl pivoted on the slide, which pawl can be held in locking position by a latch including an aperture in the pawl engageable with a catch on a post carried by the slide over which the pawl aperture can be moved.

J-hook force-adjustable and disconnectible connector for orthodontic

Orthodontic appliance accessory

A connector for orthodontic headgear includes a casing for a helical compression spring one end of which engages the head of a rod extending through the spring. The other end of the spring engages a sleeve supported in an aperture in the end of the casing. Such casing aperture has a straight chordal portion and the sleeve has axially spaced circumferential flanges with chordally truncated portions for enabling the sleeve to be moved axially relative to the casing flange when in one rotative position for adjusting the spring force and rotatively adjustable relative to the casing flange to hold the sleeve in a selected adjusted position. The connection is disconnectible by providing a metal clip securable to a headcap having legs engageable in grooves in the casing.

Force-adjustable and disconnectible connector for orthodontic headgear

A connector for orthodontic headgear includes a casing for a helical compression spring one end of which engages the head of a rod extending through the spring and through a sleeve which engages the other end of the spring. The sleeve is supported in an aperture in the end of the casing and is adjustable axially relative to the casing for adjusting the spring force. The connection is disconnectible by providing a metal clip securable to a headcap having legs engageable in grooves in the casing.

A pistol grip has twin abutments projecting in parallel relationship and spaced apart to straddle an orthodontic bracket attached to a tooth and to engage the tooth at opposite sides of the bracket. A swing handle pivoted to the pistol grip carries a pull wire extending between the abutments such pull wire has a loop for hooking a wing of the orthodontic bracket. The handle can be pulled toward the pistol grip to draw the pull wire toward the pistol grip for pressing the abutments against the tooth and simultaneously pulling the bracket off the tooth. During such pulling, constriction of the arch wire slot in the bracket is prevented by fitting in such slot a spacer hook of a tenaculum.

Method and implement for pulling bonded orthodontic brackets off teeth

An extraoral force-reaction device engageable with the wearer's head and/or neck, such as a headcap or a neckband, is connected to an intraoral force-applying device, such as molar bands, by helical spring force-producing means. Snapback of the force-applying means is controlled in response to stressing of the force-producing means beyond a predetermined maximum degree of force exerted by the force-producing means. Snapback control is effected by disconnectible connection means which can be disconnected to interrupt the application to the intraoral means of force capable of moving such intraoral means. The force to be exerted by the spring force-producing means can be readily adjustable in predetermined increments, such as by engaging a spring end hook selectively with any anchor post of several posts arranged in a row lengthwise of the spring.

Orthodontic spring force adjustment and disconnectible connection

An extraoral force-reaction device engageable with the wearer's head and/or neck, such as a headcap or a neckband, is connected to an intraoral force-applying device, such as molar bands, by force-producing means, such as springs. Snapback of the force-applying means is controlled in response to relative movement of the intraoral means and the extraoral force-reaction means away from each other beyond a predetermined maximum limit, or in response to stressing of the force-producing means beyond a predetermined maximum degree of force exerted by the force-producing means. Snapback control may be effected by latching of a limit latch to prevent or limit return movement of the force-reaction device and the force-applying device, or disconnectible means can be disconnected to interrupt the application to the intraoral means of force capable of moving such intraoral means. The force to be exerted by the spring force-producing means can be readily adjustable in predetermined increments, such as by engagement of different holes in a spring anchor strap with an anchor pin, or by engaging a spring end hook selectively with any anchor post of several posts arranged in a row lengthwise of the spring, or by a linear ratchet device. Also, various components of the extraoral force-reaction device can be assembled and adjusted as to length by connection of separable connections, which may include linear ratchet means.

Disconnect for neckstrap or headcap reaction member

An extraoral force-reaction device engageable with the wearer's head and/or neck, such as a headcap or a neckband, is connected to an intraoral force-applying device, such as molar bands, by force-producing means, such as springs. Snapback of the force-applying means is controlled in response to relative movement of the intraoral means and the extraoral force-reaction means away from each other beyond a predetermined maximum limit, or in response to stressing of the force-producing means beyond a predetermined maximum degree of force exerted by the force-producing means. Snapback control may be effected by latching of a limit latch to prevent or limit return movement of the force-reaction device and the force-applying device, or disconnectible means can be disconnected to interrupt the application of primary force to the intraoral means and reaction force to the head or neck engageable means. The force to be exerted by the spring force-producing means can be readily adjustable in predetermined increments, such as by engagement of different holes in a spring anchor strap with an anchor pin, or by a linear ratchet device. Also, various components of the extraoral force-reaction device can be assembled and adjusted as to length by connection of separable connections, which may include linear ratchet means.

Extraoral force-applying orthodontic appliance

An extraoral force-reaction device engageable with the wearer's head and/or neck, such as a headcap or a neckband, is connected to an intraoral force-applying device, such as molar bands, by force-producing means, such as springs. Snapback of the force-applying means is restricted by limiting the normal range of movement of the force-applying elements and such snapback is controlled in response to relative movement of the intraoral means and the extraoral force-reaction means away from each other beyond a predetermined maximum limit, or in response to stressing of the force producing means beyond a predetermined maximum degree of force exerted by the force producing means. Snapback control may be effected by latching of a limit latch to prevent or limit return movement of the force-reaction device and the force-applying device, or disconnectible means can be disconnected to interrupt the application of primary force to the intraoral means and reaction force to the head or neck engageable means. The force to be exerted by the spring force producing means can be readily adjustable in predetermined increments, such as by engagement of different holes in a spring anchor strap with an anchor pin, or by a linear ratchet device. Also, various components of the extraoral force-reaction device can be assembled and adjusted as to length by connection of separable connections, which may include linear ratchet means.

An extraoral force-reaction device engageable with the wearer's head and/or neck, such as a headcap or a neckband, is connected to an intraoral force-applying device, such as molar bands, by force-producing means, such as springs. Snapback of the force-applying means is restricted by limiting the normal range of movement of the force-applying elements and such snapback is controlled in response to relative movement of the intraoral means and the extraoral force-reaction means away from each other beyond a predetermined maximum limit, or in response to stressing of the force-producing means beyond a predetermined maximum degree of force exerted by the force-producing means. Snapback control may be effected by latching of a limit latch to prevent or limit return movement of the force-reaction device and the force-applying device, or disconnectible means can be disconnected to interrupt the application of primary force to the intraoral means and reaction force to the head or neck engageable means. The force to be exerted by the spring force-producing means can be readily adjustable in predetermined increments, such as by engagement of different holes in a spring anchor strap with an anchor pin, or by a linear ratchet device except where the force-producing means is of a negator type which will produce a constant force in various adjusted positions of the negator force-producing means relative to the reaction device and the force-applying device. Also, various components of the extraoral force-reaction device can be assembled and adjusted as to length by connection of separable connections, which may include linear ratchet means.

Danger of serious injury caused by sharp projections on a displaceable intraoral orthodontic appliance is avoided, or at least greatly decreased, by providing guards alongside such projections or by substituting guards for such projections. Such a guard can be a wire having an enlarged blunt end portion preferably in the form of a loop. The guard wire is mounted alongside the sharp projection of the orthodontic appliance, such as an inner bow anchor tip, and projects beyond such tip. In some instances, the sharp tip, such as a spur, can simply be replaced by a wire having a blunt tip.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Maclay M Armstrong