BOSTON — LightForce Orthodontics has introduced a new 3D-printed metal bracket system designed to expand access to customized orthodontic treatment, the company said.
The product, called LightBracket Metal, is tailored to individual tooth anatomy and generated from a patient’s digital treatment plan. The launch extends the company’s “generative braces” approach — in which each bracket is designed specifically for a patient rather than using standardized components — to the large segment of patients who opt for traditional metal braces.
Company officials said the new system targets the roughly 65% of orthodontic patients worldwide who choose metal braces, including many teenagers.
“For more than a century, orthodontics relied on a stock bracket for patients who were never stock. LightBracket Metal changes the order of things. We’re giving doctors the most exact instrument they’ve ever had for the work they were born to do,” said Alfred Griffin, founder and chief executive officer of LightForce Orthodontics.
The brackets are produced using a proprietary 3D metal printing process and customized across multiple dimensions, including base shape, slot configuration, and placement. The design is intended to match the specific morphology of each tooth while reflecting the orthodontist’s treatment plan.
LightForce said the system also includes algorithmically generated indirect bonding trays, allowing for more efficient placement of brackets. The company said its earlier ceramic system demonstrated fewer patient visits and shorter treatment times compared with conventional braces, and it expects similar benefits with the metal version.
“In my practice, I care deeply about providing individualized care for my patients. With LightBracket Metal, I am now able to provide that level of care with a patient-specific metal bracket system that is generated from my digital treatment plan,” said Dr. Jacquee Schieck of Schieck Orthodontics.
Company President James Lawton said the product reflects a broader shift in orthodontics away from one-size-fits-all devices.
“For decades, every patient got the same bracket. That ends now. We are accelerating toward a future where the very idea of a universal, one-size-fits-all bracket is unthinkable,” Lawton said.
LightBracket Metal is being rolled out to orthodontic practices, with early access available to providers seeking demonstrations, the company said.
