Michael S. Johnston DMD, MS, an orthodontist in private practice in Greer, SC, has developed a patent for an “orthodontic brace system and method.”
According to the abstract published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the system includes “brackets having a diamond-shaped tie-wing configuration that defines two parallel, horizontal slots, each of which is adapted to receive an archwire.” In addition, each slot is “angled with respect to the base of the bracket to produce a specific, maximum torque value.” This maximum torque value of the gingival slot is generally less than the maximum torque value of the incisal slot, according to the patent.
The brackets are designed to provide “multiple force vectors in different directions simultaneously.” This leads to a reduction in the time required for a patient to be in braces.
Johnston filed the patent application on December 14, 2010, according to DentistryIQ.com.
