An orthodontic bracket for coupling an archwire with a tooth includes a bracket body that has an archwire slot adapted to receive the archwire. A movable member is engaged with the bracket body and is movable between an opened position and a closed position. The bracket body and movable member are made from a transparent or translucent ceramic for improved aesthetics. The bracket body may include one or more stop surfaces that limit movement of the moveable member in the gingival direction. The bracket body may include a support surface that is positioned lingually of a labial edge of the archwire slot. The moveable member may include a bracket-engaging portion having a first surface confronting the bracket body and a slot-covering portion having a second surface confronting the archwire slot, the first and second surfaces being offset from one another.

An orthodontic bracket for coupling an archwire with a tooth includes a bracket body that has an archwire slot adapted to receive the archwire. A movable member is engaged with the bracket body and is movable between an opened position and a closed position. The bracket body and movable member are made from a transparent or translucent ceramic for improved aesthetics. The bracket body may include one or more stop surfaces that limit movement of the moveable member in the gingival direction. The bracket body may include a support surface that is positioned lingually of a labial edge of the archwire slot. The moveable member may include a bracket-engaging portion having a first surface confronting the bracket body and a slot-covering portion having a second surface confronting the archwire slot, the first and second surfaces being offset from one another.

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.

Provided herein are exemplary orthodontic elastic attachments that are customized to fit within the cutout windows of dental aligners, thus improving adhesion and minimizing inadvertent detachment from the tooth surface. The unique base pads are designed to have a shape that complements the present shape of the cutout windows like a puzzle piece. To improve adhesion to the tooth surface, the base pad may have its surface area maximized within the cutout windows. Also for improved adhesion, the base pad may be contoured to the dental anatomy of the tooth at the gumline for an intimate fit. Further exemplary embodiments may include the base pad having beveled edges to permit the aligner to slide over the base pad if it is adhered slightly off-center.

An orthodontic bracket has at least one base configured for attachment to a tooth surface and at least one bracket element arranged at one side of the at least one base, the at least one bracket element comprising—at least one arch wire slot—two wall portions wherein the orthodontic bracket comprises at least one one-piece covering door having at least one first free end which is shaped to fit within at least one indentation of a first wall portion. The at least one indentation comprises at least one locking elevation and the at least one covering door comprises at least one locking deepening. The at least one bracket element and/or the at least one base comprises composite material such as polyurethane material, and/or the at least one covering door comprises composite material such as polyurethane material, and/or comprises ceramic material.

A ligating clip for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes: a labial arm having a free end and a further end; a lingual arm having a free end and a further end; a connecting arm connected to the further ends of the labial arm and the lingual arm the labial arm, wherein the connecting arm and the lingual arm each have a distal side and a mesial side, the labial arm and the lingual arm extend generally in a gingival-occlusal direction and the connecting arm extends generally in a lingual-labial direction; and a locking element in form of a hook arranged at the free end of the lingual arm, wherein the hook protrudes in a lingual-labial direction. At least one cutout is arranged at the free end of the lingual arm, the at least one cutout being open at either the distal or the mesial side of the lingual arm.

Embodiments of the present invention provide devices (tags), systems, and methods to determine structural integrity and other states of orthodontic-elements, such as orthodontic-brackets, orthodontic-archwires, orthodontic-expanders, orthodontic-elastic-bands, and orthodontic-power-chains, to name a few, in a non-invasive and contactless way, with respect to monitoring; and using comparatively safe and/or low energy electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves. Negligible-sized backscatter-tags with sensors are implanted in or attached to such orthodontic-elements. Such arrangements may permit monitoring of forces acting on teeth by various orthodontic-elements. Using backscatter imaging technology, the structural integrity and other states of the orthodontic-elements may be monitored; which may allow non-invasive and contactless detection of problems such as cracking, bending, excessive pressure, improper temperature, and/or the like. Additionally, initially unknown locations of the implanted negligible-sized backscatter-tags with sensors may be readily determined upon a given scanning (reading) session; and thus mapped to provide an effective image of the orthodontic-elements.

One aspect of the present invention is a self-ligation type orthodontic bracket which has a simple structure and in which a shutter can be reliably opened and closed, and fixed. The orthodontic bracket is provided with: a bracket body having a slot to which a wire is attached and an introduction port connected to the slot; a shutter provided between the slot and the introduction port to be able to move forward and backward; and a stopper wire which is attached to the bracket body and prevents the shutter from detaching. The stopper wire is elastic. Both end parts of the stopper wire are supported by the bracket body. When the shutter is closed, the central part of the stopper wire is located at a position which blocks the path along which the shutter moves forward and backward.

One aspect of the present invention is a self-ligation type orthodontic bracket which has a simple structure and in which a shutter can be reliably opened and closed, and fixed. The orthodontic bracket is provided with: a bracket body having a slot to which a wire is attached and an introduction port connected to the slot; a shutter provided between the slot and the introduction port to be able to move forward and backward; and a stopper wire which is attached to the bracket body and prevents the shutter from detaching. The stopper wire is elastic. Both end parts of the stopper wire are supported by the bracket body. When the shutter is closed, the central part of the stopper wire is located at a position which blocks the path along which the shutter moves forward and backward.