摘要 |
Debonding tools and methods especially useful for removing ceramic brackets adhesively bonded to the teeth of a patient. In general, the tool and methods involve applying a tensile force to one side of the bracket while avoiding point loading which may cause the bracket to break. The tensile force may be applied by grasping the bracket with a tool having two jaws and pivoting the tool and the bracket about an axis generally lying in an occlusal-gingival plane of the tooth. At least the portions of the jaws that engage the bracket are formed from a material having a substantially reduced hardness relative to the brittle material of the bracket. Other embodiments of the tool engage a recess, such as one disposed beneath a tie wing, and pry the bracket away from the tooth.
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