A bracket system for orthodontic appliances including a bracket combinatorial library having a plurality of brackets each interchangeably fixedly mountable to each of a plurality of teeth within a dentition group in a dental arch, whereby the plurality of brackets can be configured to provide incremental variation in tipping force moments, in-out force moments, and torqueing force moments over the entire useful range of orthodontic mechanics, allowing an orthodontic practitioner to prescribe a combination of tipping force moments, in-out force moments, and torqueing force moments unique for each tooth in relation to the plurality of teeth of a patient.

A bracket system for orthodontic appliances including a bracket combinatorial library having a plurality of brackets each interchangeably fixedly mountable to each of a plurality of teeth within a dentition group in a dental arch, whereby the plurality of brackets can be configured to provide incremental variation in tipping force moments, in-out force moments, and torqueing force moments over the entire useful range of orthodontic mechanics, allowing an orthodontic practitioner to prescribe a combination of tipping force moments, in-out force moments, and torqueing force moments unique for each tooth in relation to the plurality of teeth of a patient.

A device for use by a clinician includes a tip structure that is configured to extend from a handle and to be inserted into a patient's mouth and at least one light source that is capable of emitting incoherent actinic radiation from the device. The light source is on the tip structure or within the handle. A light device includes a shell that is configured to engage an orthodontic bracket while the orthodontic bracket is attached to a tooth and at least one light source is embedded in the shell and is capable of emitting incoherent actinic radiation. A method of debonding an orthodontic appliance from a tooth includes exposing an adhesive secured to the tooth to incoherent actinic radiation that reduces a bond strength of at least a portion of the adhesive and separating the orthodontic appliance from the tooth at the portion of the adhesive having reduced bond strength.

A method includes receiving, with a computer system, a digital representation of a 3D tooth structure providing initial positions of one or more teeth of a patient, determining dimensions and shapes of a removable dental appliance, the dimensions and shapes being configured to reposition the one or more teeth from their initial positions to adjusted positions when the dental appliance is worn, and transmitting a representation of the dental appliance to a computer-aided manufacturing system. The dental appliance includes an appliance body configured to surround two or more teeth of the patient with a facial portion configured to register with facial sides of the surrounded teeth, and a lingual portion configured to register with lingual sides of the surrounded teeth. The appliance body is configured such that occlusal surfaces of the surrounded teeth of the patient are exposed when the removable dental appliance is worn by the patient.

A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.

A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.

An orthodontic appliance may include an archwire and multiple orthodontic brackets. The archwire may fit within a human mouth and contain multiple male connectors. Each orthodontic bracket may have a configuration that facilitates attaching the orthodontic bracket to a single tooth. Each orthodontic bracket may allow one of the male connectors to be locked into the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action. The male connector may be unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracket after being locked in the orthodontic bracket. A manual unlocking action may allow the male connector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket.

An orthodontic appliance may include an archwire and multiple orthodontic brackets. The archwire may fit within a human mouth and contain multiple male connectors. Each orthodontic bracket may have a configuration that facilitates attaching the orthodontic bracket to a single tooth. Each orthodontic bracket may allow one of the male connectors to be locked into the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action. The male connector may be unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracket after being locked in the orthodontic bracket. A manual unlocking action may allow the male connector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket.

A self-ligating orthodontic bracket for captivating an archwire with a tooth. The bracket includes a bracket body mountable to a tooth and a self-ligating mechanism having an archwire slot and a ligating slide. The ligating slide is movable between an open position in which an archwire is insertable into the archwire slot and a closed position in which the archwire is retained in the archwire slot. The bracket body may be formed from a non-metallic material, such as a polymer, a filled polymer composite, or a ceramic, and the self-ligating mechanism may be formed from a metal. The bracket may include a resilient engagement member with a detent positioned to engage an aperture or throughhole extending through the ligating slide when the ligating slide is in the closed position.

A self-ligating orthodontic bracket for captivating an archwire with a tooth. The bracket includes a bracket body mountable to a tooth and a self-ligating mechanism having an archwire slot and a ligating slide. The ligating slide is movable between an open position in which an archwire is insertable into the archwire slot and a closed position in which the archwire is retained in the archwire slot. The bracket body may be formed from a non-metallic material, such as a polymer, a filled polymer composite, or a ceramic, and the self-ligating mechanism may be formed from a metal. The bracket may include a resilient engagement member with a detent positioned to engage an aperture or throughhole extending through the ligating slide when the ligating slide is in the closed position.