Bondable orthodontic appliance with a polymer resin bonding base

1. An orthodontic appliance for shipment to a user including a metal appliance body having a buccal/labial archwire receiving side and a lingual side,

said archwire receiving side of said body including at least one tie wing having a labial profile, and said lingual side of said body including a base portion having a lingual profile, a connecting portion between the base portion on the lingual side and the tie wing, the lingual profile of the base portion being substantially equal to the labial profile of the tie wing,

and a light-permeable, heat or light-cured polymer resin bonding base molded onto the lingual of said base portion of said body and including an integral peripheral lip overlapping a part of the base portion to enhance the bonding of the bonding base to the base portion of said body and having substantially the same lingual profile as the lingual profile of said base portion

wherein the light-permeable base enhances the use of and curing of a light-cure adhesive by allowing the curing light to penetrate beneath the appliance when bonding the appliance to a tooth to substantially increase the bond strength of the appliance on a tooth.

2. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the polymer resin base is acrylic, epoxy or acrylic-based epoxy.

3. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the appliance is a bracket or a tube.

4. A method of making an orthodontic appliance for shipment to a user including a body of ceramic, metal, or plastic having a buccal/labial archwire receiving side and a lingual side, and

said archwire receiving side of said body including at least one tie wing having a labial profile, and said lingual side of said body including a base portion having a lingual profile, a connecting portion between the base portion on the lingual side and the tie wing, the lingual profile of the base portion being substantially equal to the labial profile of the tie wing,

a light-permeable polymer resin bonding base molded onto the lingual of said base portion of said body and including an integral peripheral lip overlapping part of the base portion to enhance the bonding base to the base portion of said body and having substantially the same lingual profile as the lingual profile of said base portion

said method comprising the steps of:

making an orthodontic appliance body of ceramic, metal, or plastic of one size such that when a bondable light-permeable polymer resin base is molded to the lingual side of the body the base includes an integral peripheral lip overlapping a part of the appliance body,

wherein a bondable orthodontic appliance is produced for shipment to a user for bonding to a tooth, and

said body having an archwire receiving side and a lingual side on which the base is molded, and

molding a light-permeable, light-curable or heat-curable polymer resin bonding base to the lingual of said base portion of said body such that the lingual side at least partially overlaps the base and a peripheral lip is formed at the perimeter of the appliance body thereby enhancing the bonding of the bonding base to the base portion of said body

wherein the light-permeable base enhances the use of and curing of a light-cure adhesive by allowing the curing light to penetrate beneath the appliance when bonding the appliance to a tooth to substantially increase the bond strength of the appliance on a tooth.

5. An orthodontic appliance for shipment to a user including an appliance body of metal, ceramic, or plastic, having a buccal/labial archwire receiving side and a lingual side,

said archwire receiving of said body including at least one tie wing having a labial profile, and said lingual side of said body including a base portion having a lingual profile, a connecting portion between the base portion on the lingual side and the tie wing, the lingual profile of the base portion being substantially equal to the labial profile of the tie wing,

a light-permeable, heat or light-cured polymer resin bonding base molded onto the lingual of said base portion of said body and including an integral peripheral lip overlapping a part of the appliance body,

said integral peripheral lip assuring the base portion to enhance the bonding of the bonding base to the base portion of said body and having substantially the same lingual profile as the lingual profile of said base portion to withstand the forces applied to the body by an archwire during use by a patient,

and said appliance further including a first groove formed in said appliance body and a second groove formed in said base coacting with said first groove to define an opening for receiving an arm of an auxiliary appliance or a secondary archwire for applying a predetermined force to a tooth on which the appliance may be mounted,

wherein the light-permeable base enhances the use of and curing of a light-cure adhesive by allowing the curing light to penetrate beneath the appliance when bonding the appliance to a tooth to substantially increase the bond strength of the appliance on a tooth.