3M Innovation Properties, St Paul, Minn, has received a patent for an “orthodontic indirect bonding tray with moisture control,” according to an article on the DentistryIQ Web site. The device was developed by David K. Cinader, Jr, and James D. Cleary.
The patent’s abstract, published by the US Patent and TrademarkOffice, describes the tray as “having inner wall sections defining achannel for receiving the patient’s dental arch.”
In addition, “a number of orthodontic appliances are detachablyconnected to the tray along the channel, and each appliance includes abase for bonding the appliance to the tooth. The wall sections includeat least one groove extending along the base of at least one appliancein order to provide a space between the wall sections and the patient’stooth structure when the tray is received on the patient’s dental arch.The space hinders the flow of oral fluids such as saliva in directionstoward the base in order to help ensure that the fluids do not adverselyaffect the strength of the resulting adhesive bond between theappliance and the tooth.”
For more information about this and other orthodontic companies, visit our Buyer’s Guide.
