Package for prepasted brackets

[0008]The pod of the present invention is incorporated in a carrier that may support one or more pods. A cover member is associated with each pod in order to close the pod after a prepasted appliance is inserted into the pod. The carrier and cover and the pod are all preferably of an opaque material so as to prevent light energy or actinic radiation from entering the pod during the time the prepasted appliance is shipped to a user and curing the light curable adhesive. Within the pod are tabs upstanding from the bottom of the pod to support the bracket above the bottom of the pod and engage a small area of the uncured adhesive on the base of the bracket. The upper bracket engaging surfaces of the pods are preferably tapered downwardly to the center of the pod to center the position of the bracket in the pod and to accommodate brackets of different widths. Other upstanding tabs are provided along opposite walls of the pod engaging edges of a bracket in order to provide stability for the appliance and prevent it from shifting during shipment. While the pod as viewed from the top may be rectangular or square in shape, it should be appreciated that it could be circular or oval shaped as long as it is sized so that a prepasted appliance can be inserted int

With respect to prior known carriers with pods wherein the prepasted bracket engages the bottom of the pod it is always possible to leave a portion of the bonding material in the pod when removing the appliance from the pod and in those cases insufficient bonding material is left on the bracket base to properly bond an appliance to the tooth of a patient.

Sometimes that becomes an issue relative to the proper placement of a bracket on a tooth.

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