Pre-torque orthodontic appliance having a latch for holding an archwire

摘要

An orthodontic appliance such as a bracket or buccal tube has a latch for retaining an archwire in an archwire slot. The appliance also includes built-torque in order to reduce the need for the practitioner to manually bend the archwire by twisting the archwire about its longitudinal axis during the course of treatment. The latch comprises at least one clip having certain features that significantly reduce strain during opening movements of the clip. As a result, the fatigue life of the clip is enhanced.