The present invention provides an improved self-ligating orthodontic bracket. According to one embodiment, the improved orthodontic bracket includes a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot formed upon the base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire, a channel formed upon the base and transversely oriented to the archwire slot, and a ligating slide member slideably retained within the channel and closeable over the archwire slot for retaining the orthodontic archwire therein, and wherein the ligating slide member includes at least one coplanar resilient retention mechanism for exerting retention forces coplanar with the ligating slide member for holding the ligating slide member in a closed position. In one embodiment, the improved orthodontic bracket comprises a bracket with a ligating slide member slideably retained within a dovetail shaped channel.
