METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AN ORTHODONTIC BRACKET HAVING A LASER SHAPED GREEN BODY

摘要

A green metal body includes metal particles and a binder in the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or base plate. The green metal body is fabricated by being laser-cut with a laser to shape the green metal body into the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or to carve recesses and/or undercuts into the bonding surface of the bracket. The green metal body is sintered to shrink its volume into a denser and less porous sintered metal body configured to be an orthodontic bracket. The resultant sintered orthodontic bracket includes recesses and/or undercuts in the bonding surface to provide a mechanical aspect when bonded to a tooth.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing an orthodontic appliance comprising:
removing binder from a surface portion of a green body composed of particles held together by the binder; removing particles from the surface portion of the green body where the binder has been removed to yield a cut portion defined by the remaining particles of the green body, the cut portion having a shape that is related to the orthodontic appliance; removing additional binder from the green body following removal of the particles from the surface portion of the green body; and sintering the particles to form a sintered body including a sintered cut portion so as to form the orthodontic appliance.