Patent ID: 7063530

Claim:
An orthodontic bracket comprising: a bracket base; at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein; and a ligation cover hingedly connected to the bracket base by a hinge element and movable relative to the bracket base about the hinge element between an open, non-ligating position relative to the arch wire slot in which the arch wire slot is completely unoccluded by the ligation cover and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot; wherein the bracket base, hinge element, and ligation cover comprise a filled polymer resin composition reinforced with flexible glass or ceramic fibers and a particulate filler, wherein the hinge element reinforced with the flexible glass or ceramic fibers and the particulate filler has increased toughness and flexibility compared to a hinge element in the absence of the flexible glass or ceramic fibers and the particulate filler.