Patent ID: 8714972

Claim:
An assembly comprising a self-ligating bracket and a wire arch to be accommodated in the bracket, the bracket comprising a retaining plate securable to a tooth and a pair of spaced apart retaining wings integrally joined to the retaining plate, between which the wire arch is snapped in place, wherein the pair of spaced apart retaining wings defines a gap that extends in a longitudinal direction of the wire arch, wherein a cross section of the gap has a trapezoidal shape, and the pair of spaced apart retaining wings comprises a pair of tongues that extend toward each other at ends remote from the retaining plate, wherein the pair of tongues comprises retaining surfaces running at least approximately parallel to a surface of the retaining plate on a side facing toward the gap, wherein a cross section of the wire arch has a trapezoidal shape that includes a base surface and a narrower top surface, a width of the base surface being greater than a maximum distance between the pair of spaced apart retaining wings in a non-tensioned state, wherein the pair of spaced apart retaining wings is inclined from the retaining plate and away from each other to slide the wire arch away from the retaining plate toward the retaining surfaces of the pair of tongues to provide a self-aligning, clearance-free seating of the wire arch tensioned in the gap by the pair of spaced apart retaining wings and abutting the retaining surfaces of the pair of tongues.