Orthodontic method and apparatus

Claim 2

An orthodontic apparatus for use in altering the position of one or more teeth comprising: one or more bracket members adapted for mounting upon the surface of a tooth, said bracket members having wire receiving means including a wire receiving slot having oppositely disposed non-parallel slot surfaces; and, a tapered wire member having non-parallel oppositely disposed wire surfaces, said oppositely disposed wire surfaces being configured for positioning of said tapered wire member in said wire receiving slot, whereby the position of said tapered wire member may be adjusted in said slot by the orthodontist as required and said tapered wire member is retained therein exclusively by being wedged into the slot.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said oppositely disposed non-parallel wire surfaces comprise the occlusal and gingival surfaces of said tapered wire member.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said oppositely disposed wire surfaces are disposed at an angle of between 1 degree and 25 degrees relative to each other so as to facilitate selective wedging between said tapered wire member and said wire receiving slot.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bracket member includes means for attaching said bracket to one of said teeth, said means comprising an adhesive compound.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bracket member comprises a base adapted for attachment to one of the patient's teeth, and a crown portion having said wire receiving slot disposed across the surface thereof.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bracket members each comprise a base member adapted for abutment against the surface of a tooth, the size and angle of said base member relative to said wire receiving means being selected so as to effect a selected force vector against said tooth.

Claim 8

An orthodontic apparatus for use in altering the position of one or more teeth comprising: one or more bracket members adapted for mounting upon the side of a tooth, said bracket members having wire receiving means including a wire receiving slot having opposite non-parallel slot surfaces disposed at an angle of between about 1 degree and about 25 degrees relative to each other; and, a tapered wire member interconnecting said bracket members, said tapered wire member having non-parallel oppositely disposed wire surfaces disposed at substantially the same angle relative to each other as said oppositely disposed non-parallel slot surfaces, said wire receiving slot being sized relative to said wire so as to facilitate selective wedging of said wire in said wire receiving slot and retention therein exclusively by the wedging action.

Claim 9

An orthodontic apparatus for use in altering the position of one or more teeth comprising: one or more bracket members adapted for mounting upon the side of a tooth, said bracket members having wire receiving means including a wire receiving slot having opposite non-parallel slot surfaces disposed at an angle of between about 1 degree and about 25 degrees relative to each other; and, a tapered wire member interconnecting said bracket members, said tapered wire member having non-parallel oppositely disposed wire surfaces disposed at substantially the same angle relative to each other as said oppositely disposed non-parallel slot surfaces, said wire receiving slot being sized relative to said wire so as to facilitate selective wedging of said wire in said wire receiving slot and retention therein exclusively by the wedging action.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said bracket comprises a base adapted for attachment to one of said teeth and a pair of arms disposed substantially normally from said base, said wire receiving slot being disposed between said arms.

Claim 11

An orthodontic method utilizing a plurality of tapered arch wires each having progressive greater degrees of taper and a plurality of brackets having tapered arch wire slots, each of said arch wire slots having a progressively greater degree of taper, said method comprising the steps of: observing the position of the patient's teeth; determining the correction required for selected teeth of the patient; selecting an arch wire having a desired degree of taper and a plurality of brackets each having an arch wire slot having a desired degree of taper so as to exert a specified force vector on the selected teeth of the patient in a selected direction; attaching said selected brackets to the patient's teeth requiring correction in the required positions; fixedly attaching said arch wire to a first one of said brackets on the patient's teeth; inserting said tapered arch wire into said tapered arch wire slots in said brackets and retaining said arch wire therein exclusively by wedging said arch wire into said slots; placing said tapered arch wire under a desired degree of tension; and, fixedly attaching said arch wire to a second one of said brackets on the patient's teeth, said first bracket being oppositely disposed from said second bracket with the remaining brackets on the patient's teeth being disposed therebetween, thereby effecting selected correction of the patient's teeth.

Claim 12

An orthodontic method utilizing a plurality of tapered arch wires each having progressive greater degrees of taper and a plurality of brackets having tapered arch wire slots, each of said arch wire slots having a progressively greater degree of taper, said method comprising the steps of: observing the position of the patient's teeth; determining the correction required for selected teeth of the patient; selecting an arch wire having a desired degree of taper and a plurality of brackets each having an arch wire slot having a desired degree of taper so as to exert a specified force vector on the selected teeth of the patient in a selected direction; attaching said selected brackets to the patient's teeth requiring correction in the required positions; fixedly attaching said arch wire to a first one of said brackets on the patient's teeth; inserting said tapered arch wire into said tapered arch wire slots in said brackets and retaining said arch wire therein exclusively by wedging said arch wire into said slots; placing said tapered arch wire under a desired degree of tension; and, fixedly attaching said arch wire to a second one of said brackets on the patient's teeth, said first bracket being oppositely disposed from said second bracket with the remaining brackets on the patient's teeth being disposed therebetween, thereby effecting selected correction of the patient's teeth.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 and further comprising the steps of sliding said tapered arch wire through said tapered arch wire slots so as to connect said brackets.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9 and further comprising moving the patient's tooth simultaneously in three dimensions in response to said force vector exerted by said arch wire and said bracket.