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Custom Metal Brackets for Every Tooth – Brought to You by 3D Printing

May 10, 2026 News 9877

Boston-based company LightForce Orthodontics has recently launched a 3D-printed metal bracket called LightBracket Metal, claiming it to be the world's first custom‑made metal orthodontic bracket personalized for each patient.

Traditional orthodontics has long relied on "standard brackets" with uniform sizes, even though every patient's tooth anatomy is different.

LightBracket Metal breaks this century‑old convention. Each bracket is customized in six dimensions based on the patient's digital treatment plan: base, slot height, slot prescription, bracket positioning, tie wings, and hooks. The system also offers three slot sizes and two‑dimensional combinations, along with algorithmically generated indirect bonding guides for easy clinical use.

The company has previously launched ceramic custom brackets that have already entered clinical use. Data shows that compared to traditional brackets, the ceramic custom system can reduce the number of follow‑up visits by about 60% and shorten treatment time by 43%. Now, the metal custom bracket brings the same approach to a much larger market – approximately 65% of orthodontic patients worldwide (including teenagers) use metal brackets. The total global orthodontic market is valued at about 322 billion RMB, which converts to approximately $44.7 billion USD.

The founder and CEO of LightForce said, "For over a century, orthodontics has relied on standard brackets, but patients have never been standardized. LightBracket Metal changes that, giving doctors a tool with unprecedented precision." The company's president added, "The era of using the same bracket for every patient – which has lasted decades – is now over."

LightBracket Metal is currently being rolled out to orthodontic clinics and made its official debut at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists.