Patent ID: 7416408

Claim:
A self ligating orthodontic bracket for coupling an archwire with a tooth, the orthodontic bracket comprising: a bracket body including a lingual surface configured to be mounted to a tooth, a groove, an archwire slot defined within said groove, a first labial surface, a second labial surface separated from said first labial surface by said groove, a pair of guides on said first labial surface, and at least one first stop element; and a ligating member retained by said guides to said bracket body, said ligating member guided for movement by said guides between an open position in which an archwire is insertable into said archwire slot and a closed position in which said ligating member retains the archwire in said archwire slot, said ligating member including at least one second stop element that abuts said at least one first stop element on said bracket body when said ligating member is in said open position, and said ligating member including a lingual surface overlying said archwire slot when said ligating member is in said closed position, a labial surface, and a leading edge between said lingual and labial surfaces of said ligating member, wherein a portion of said second labial surface of said bracket body projects at least partially above said lingual surface of said ligating member, and said leading edge of said ligating member has an abutting relationship, when said ligating member is in said closed position, with a portion of said groove between said portion of said second labial surface and said archwire slot.