| 摘要 |
Orthodontic appliances such as orthodontic brackets are provided with bases (31, 56-58) that are shaped to correspond to the profiles of the specific teeth (e.g. 20, 35, 40, 44, 47) to which they are to be attached. The shapes of the bases (31, 56-58) facilitate the visual placement of the appliances on the teeth of patients by visually signaling to the practitioner the positioning of the appliance with the base thereof centered on the facial side of the tooth. This invention further facilitates the positioning of an archwire support (33, 51-54) of the appliance at a position on a tooth that is offset from the facial axis (FA) or from the center of the face of the tooth by manufacture of the appliance with the support offset from the center of the tooth-shaped pad. Preferably, the appliance base is a scaled reduction of the profile of the tooth, viewed from its facial side. The base is preferably scaled differently in the vertical and horizontal directions, with the shape of the base being reduced from that of the tooth profile by a greater amount vertically than horizontally. The tooth-shaped bases further facilitate identification of the specific tooth for which the appliance is intended. |
