Patent ID: 8454359

Claim:
A method of forming an orthodontic transfer tray for use in attaching orthodontic brackets to teeth, the brackets each having an opening for receiving a wire, the method comprising: positioning the brackets relative to the teeth, or to a model of the teeth, with at least one of the brackets offset from the teeth or the teeth model and thereby suspended in free space; defining customized surfaces that form customized voids that receive the brackets in customized positions such that at least one of the voids can receive a respective adhesive mass that fills a remainder of the void so that the respective offset bracket is embedded into or encapsulated by the adhesive mass with the adhesive mass extending into the void beyond at least a portion of the respective bracket opening but not into the bracket opening; and fabricating the transfer tray including the customized surfaces forming the customized voids for holding the brackets in their customized positions relative to the teeth, wherein the fabricated transfer tray can have the voids loaded with the brackets, occlusion elements occluding the bracket openings, and the adhesive masses, and can then be placed on the teeth so that the brackets are in the customized positions with at least one of the adhesive masses extending away from the respective tooth beyond the respective bracket-opening portion of the respective offset bracket but with the respective occlusion element preventing the respective adhesive mass from flowing into the respective bracket opening.