Image Number 13 for United States Patent #5454717.
Custom orthodontic brackets are provided for supporting an orthodontic archwire at custom positions and inclinations on the teeth of a patient. The preferred brackets each include a bracket base mountable on a tooth and a support extending therefrom for supporting an archwire, preferably in a slot of the custom inclination, depth and preferably curvature with respect to the mounting surface of the bracket base to the tooth. In the preferred embodiment, the brackets are formed by mounting blanks on an inclinable holder, positioning a cutter blade and inclining the holder to cut a custom slot in an archwire plane through the support on the bracket. The cutting tool and bracket holder are computer controlled and driven by signals produced from digitized data relating to the individual patient's anatomy, and preferably to tooth finish positions and bracket and archwire geometry calculated from digitized data taken from the patient's mouth or model thereof.
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