Low profile orthodontic appliance
US5474448A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 4, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 4, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61C13/097
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A low profile orthodontic appliance and method of designing custom and standard low profile orthodontic appliances are provided. The archwire of the appliance is not parallel to the dental archform but converges toward the archform preferably in the vicinity of the incisors. Slotted brackets on either the laterals, the cuspids or the first bicuspids have mesially rotated slots to support the archwire in sloped relation to the teeth. For standardized appliances, the slot rotation may be provided only in brackets for the upper laterals and the lower cuspids. For Caucasians, the preferred rotation angles are 4.5 and 6 degrees respectively. For Asians, the rotation angles are preferably distributed over brackets for the laterals, cuspids and first bicuspids. Tooth to archwire spacing is not more than 0.05 inches for all teeth but the upper laterals. The archwire shape is designed in custom appliances by digitizing tooth shape of a patient, calculating ideal finish tooth positions and ideal bracket positioning, designing an optimally smooth archwire spaced optimally close to the teeth and manufacturing brackets with calculated slot rotations in most of the brackets. For standardized app…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.