Patent ID: 8469704

Claim:
An orthodontic bracket for coupling an archwire with a tooth, comprising: a bracket body configured to be mounted to the tooth, the bracket body including an archwire slot including a base surface and a pair of opposed slot surfaces projecting outwardly from the base surface, the archwire slot adapted to receive the archwire therein; and a movable member engaged with the bracket body and movable relative thereto between an opened position in which the archwire is insertable into the archwire slot, and a closed position in which the movable member retains the archwire in the archwire slot, the movable member including a mesial side and a distal side, wherein the movable member includes a side configured to face the base surface when the movable member is in the closed position, a leading edge, and a pushing element between the side and the leading edge, the pushing element including a surface angled relative to the leading edge and angled relative to the side, extending from the mesial side to the distal side of the movable member, and being configured to guide the archwire into the archwire slot as the movable member is moved toward the closed position, the pushing element having a non-uniform configuration along a length of the leading edge.