The practice of orthodontics requires a considerable amount of chair time with patients so that perfect or near perfect alignment of the patient's teeth can be achieved. When orthodontic brackets (braces) are bonded to the patient's teeth at an initial treatment, it is very difficult if not impossible to precisely position each bracket. The problem is exacerbated by a number of issues. For example, excess crowding of the teeth, angulations of the teeth, lack of access and at times human error or inability to precisely position a bracket on a specific tooth.
A further problem confronting the orthodontist is that the realignment of the teeth following the initial treatment, it becomes apparent that some of the brackets that have been bonded to a patient's teeth need to be repositioned.
This requires removal of the originally bonded bracket from the tooth enamel that causes pain and discomfort, frequently damages the bracket, requires a new bracket, requires removal of the existing bonding material on the patient's teeth, repairing the tooth surface and rebonding a new bracket in the ideal position. This procedure is costly, time consuming and may not necessarily be the last time the orthodontist is replacing that bracket.
After many years, it is still common practice to adhesively bond an orthodontic bracket directly onto a tooth. Nevertheless, there have been attempts to provide adjustable orthodontic brackets. For example, a U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,387 of Prins discloses an Adjustable Orthodontic Bracket that can be fixed to a band to surround a tooth. The bracket has a base to be carried by the tooth, and a movable member to which wires are attached, and a retainer to fix the movable member to the base. In the preferred embodiment, the base and the movable member have spherical surfaces so that motion of the movable member can dispose the bracket at any desired angle in any plane for the desired torque, and in all embodiments the movable member is rotatable about the retainer through 360 degrees and can be set at any desired angle.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,581 of Adler discloses an Orthodontic Bracket. As disclosed therein, an improved orthodontic bracket is formed of a wire gripping block secured within a spring metal base having wings or string tabs which set within tab receiving slots on opposite ends of the block. A slot within the face of the block is configured for gripping an orthodontic banding or archwire extending from tooth to tooth, the face being large enough to accommodate any desired orientation of the slot to convert tension forces in the wire to a desired amount of torque for inducing a predetermined rotation of the tooth. A central plate portion of the base includes a slot elongated for the guidance of an orthodontic pin between the block and the base while transverse wing portions of the aperture serve as keyways for cooperation with alignment pins extending from a back face of the block. A channel for receipt of the orthodontic pin is also located on the back face of the block. Further, a bifurcated shim having legs contacting cam surfaces of the block for insertion between the block and the base to facilitate removal of the block for interchanging with other blocks, the legs passing outside the alignment pins and one of the tabs, the one tab having peripheral slots for engagement with the legs.
A more recent Kishi U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,846 discloses a Self-Adjustable Self-Ligating Orthodontic Bracket. As disclosed, a self-adjustable, self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes a base with a tooth face bonded to a surface of a tooth. A linking body includes a body connection. The linking body is in physical communication with an archwire transmitting a force to the linking body. A connector applies a tension between the linking body and the base motivating the linking body and the base toward a normal position.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an adjustable orthodontic bracket and method in accordance with the present invention. There should be a commercial market for such devices because they use a base member adhesively bonded to a tooth instead of adhesively bonding the orthodontic bracket on the tooth as commonly done today. The base member has dimensions and configuration that is slightly larger than the bracket. Therefore, the bracket is heat softenable material onto the base member and the base member is adhesively bonded to the tooth. A laser with pinpoint accuracy softens the heat softenable material in order to adjust the bracket.
In addition, the adjustable orthodontic bracket and method are considerably more cost effective, safe, saves hours of an orthodontist's time, relieves a patient from pain and discomfort, and reduces the costs for such treatments.