Patent ID: 6960080

Claim:
An orthodontic bracket comprising: a bracket base; at least one arch wire slot in the bracket base slot adapted to receive an arch wire therein; a ligation cover hingedly connected to the bracket base and selectively rotatable relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position relative to the arch wire slot and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot; an elongate film hinge attached at one end to the bracket base and at an opposite end to the ligation cover so as to hingedly connect the ligation cover to the bracket base, and wherein the elongate film hinge biases the ligation cover toward the open, non-ligating position; and a hinge guide structure disposed on the ligation cover or bracket base, the hinge guide structure providing a curved surface around which the elongate film hinge bends when the ligation cover is selectively rotated relative to the bracket base so that the film hinge bends over substantially its entire length.