Patent ID: 7252506

Claim:
A brace for an orthodontic patient comprising: a set of orthodontic appliances, each appliance having an archwire slot and constructed for connection to a tooth of the patient's dental arch; and an arch member comprising an elongated polymeric body with an overall, generally “U”-shaped configuration, wherein the body has a plurality of non-coiled enlarged sections and a plurality of narrowed sections that present a plurality of notches that are spaced apart from each other along the length of the body, and wherein the appliances are coupled to the body in locations corresponding to the notches such that each notch receives a corresponding appliance, wherein the enlarged sections have a solid cross-sectional shape, the solid shape having a dimension in an occlusal-gingival direction that is greater than the overall occlusal-gingival height of the archwire slots of the appliances.