ORTHODONTIC HAND TOOLS FOR USE WITH SELF-LIGATING ORTHODONTIC BRACKET, METHODS FOR USING SUCH ORTHODONTIC HAND TOOLS, SELF-LIGATING ORTHODONTIC BRACKETS, AND ORTHODONTIC BRACKET SYSTEMS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an orthodontic hand tool and self-ligating orthodontic brackets characterized by respective constitutions that cooperate to minimize the force transmitted to the tooth of a patient when opening the orthodontic bracket, and overcome deficiencies of conventional orthodontic hand tools and self-ligating orthodontic brackets.;SOLUTION: The orthodontic bracket includes a contact point on its bracket body and a contact point on a movable member used to self-ligate an archwire in an archwire slot defined in the bracket body. The contact points are arranged such that different portions of a tip 12a on the hand tool can be placed in a contacting relationship with the contact points and used to place the movable member in an open position. When the tip 12a is used, the tip 12a applies a force to the first and second contact points effective to move the movable member relative to the bracket body with a negligible force transferred from the tip 12a to the tooth.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT