Patent ID: 7175428

Claim:
A self-ligating orthodontic bracket comprising: a unitary body structure including a base having front and rear surfaces, two pair of spaced opposing tie wings, each tie wing having a post member extending from said front surface of said base in spaced relationship with respect to a post member of an opposing tie wing, each pair of opposing tie wing posts define an archwire guide slot therebetween of a first dimension to slidingly receive an archwire therein, each pair of opposing tie wings including head portions having outward extending flanges and at least one of each pair of opposing tie wings including an inwardly extending flange, said inwardly extending flange being in a predetermined positioned relative to the opposing tie wing to retain an archwire within said archwire guide slots, and at least a portion of the bracket being formed of a material such that at least one of each pair of opposing tie wings exhibits flexibility and shape memory effect allowing relative movement between said at least one of each pair of opposing tie wings and the opposing tie wing to permit insertion or removal of an archwire relative to said archwire guide slots afterwhich said at least one of each pair of opposing tie wings returns to its predetermined position.