Patent ID: 7819660

Claim:
An orthodontic appliance, comprising: a support assembly, comprising: a tooth engaging portion adapted to be bonded to a surface of a tooth; a support portion extending from the tooth engaging portion; and a first coupling portion on the support portion; and a corrective assembly adapted to direct corrective forces to at least the tooth to which the tooth engaging portion is bonded, the corrective assembly comprising: a wire engaging portion adapted to receive an archwire; a base portion extending from the wire engaging portion; and a second coupling portion on the base portion and releasably engaged with the first coupling portion, wherein when the first and second coupling portions are operatively engaged with each other, the wire engaging portion extends farther from the surface of the tooth relative to the first and second coupling portions; wherein, when the first and second coupling portions are operatively engaged with each other, the first and second coupling portions are adapted to disengage, without destruction of either of the first and second coupling portions, directly responsive to a shear force that exceeds a predetermined value and which is applied to the corrective assembly in a direction generally parallel to the surface of the tooth and in a direction other than from the support assembly to the corrective assembly.