A brace for an orthodontic patient includes a set of appliances fixed to the patient's teeth and an arch member connected to the appliances. The arch member has a series of notches presenting narrowed sections, and the narrowed sections are received in slots of corresponding appliances. As such, the sections of the arch member in regions between adjacent notches are not constrained by the shape of the slots of the appliances. Preferably, the arch member is comprised of an aesthetic polymeric material such as a stain-resistant transparent or translucent material.