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.

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.

A method for production of anti-microbial orthodontic elastomeric ligatures is disclosed. The elastomeric ligatures are coated with an anti-microbial solution layer by layer. The coating solution comprising an anti-bacterial agent, a polymer and a solvent in the following ratio: 2 g anti-microbial agent, 4 g polymer and 200 mL solvent. The hypo-allergic latex-free orthodontic elastomeric ligatures with an internal diameter of 0.045 inches and external diameter of 0.115 inches are rinsed in distilled water, dried at 60° C. and sprayed with the anti-bacterial solution two times and dried for five minute. This process is repeated for five times and the elastomeric ligatures are dried at room temperature for 1 h.

An orthodontic bracket is provided, including a main body, a cover, and an elastic spring element. The main body has an archwire slot configured to receive an archwire. The cover is hingedly connected to the main body, and the cover can be moved between an open position and a closed position. The open position exposes the archwire slot and the closed position covers the archwire slot. The elastic spring element is disposed in the main body, coupled to the cover and the main body, and configured to generate a force that moves the cover into the open position.

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.

An orthodontic device is provided, including an anchorage structure, a palatal expansion structure, and at least one protrusion. The anchorage structure includes left and right posterior teeth caps configured to be removably worn on the posterior teeth of the maxillary dental arch; a palatal bar connecting the left and right posterior teeth caps; and an expanded arch extending from the left posterior teeth cap to the right posterior teeth cap. The palatal expansion structure includes: left and right anterior teeth parts configured to be removably worn on the anterior teeth of the maxillary dental arch; and expansion screws connecting the left anterior teeth part and the right anterior teeth part to each other and to the palatal bar. The at least one protrusion is formed on then occlusal side of the expanded arch and configured to contact the patient's mandibular dental arch when the orthodontic device is worn.

Disclosed is an orthodontic bracket including a bracket body having a slot into which an orthodontic wire is inserted, a bracket cover mounted on the bracket body and configured to open and close the slot, and a ligating member provided in the bracket cover and configured to selectively block the slot so as to confine the orthodontic wire in the slot. The orthodontic bracket may precisely and consistently transmit force, for example, torque, of the orthodontic wire to a tooth, and minimize or prevent factors contributing to failure, such as deformation of or damage to the ligating member due to opening and closing of the slot.

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.