The present invention provides designs for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket.According to one embodiment, the self-ligating orthodontic bracket includesa mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot formed uponthe base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire, a rotary ligating coverselectively rotatable between an open position permitting access to the archwireslot and a closed position covering the archwire slot, and one or more lockingfeatures for holding the rotary ligating cover in a closed position. In one embodiment,the bracket includes one or more locking tabs on the rotary ligating cover alignedin coplanar relation to the rotary ligating cover and cooperatively mating withcutout portions in the base. In one embodiment, the bracket includes at leastone resilient retention mechanism adjacent to the one or more locking tabs andaligned in coplanar relation to the rotary ligating cover. The resilient retentionmechanism may include one or more relief channels permitting flexing of at leastportions of the rotary ligating cover adjacent to the one or more locking tabs.
