Tuesday, August 14, 2007

There Are Different Types of Braces?





I had no idea there are different types of braces out there. I mean, I know there are metal vs. ceramic, invisalign and whatnot, but I didn't know about the Damon 3 brackets, which are what I will be getting. The idea of no elastics around the brackets sounds nice. At least I won't have to worry about what color elastics I want. Since I am a terrible decision-maker, this could have been very time-consuming. Another plus to the Damon brackets is that I can have the wire removed before I go get my teeth cleaned and then replaced afterward!! Anyway, I thought I would post a little bit about the Damon 3 design since I find it pretty fascinating.


Conventional braces on the left are tied in with elastics, which cause friction and pressure, making treatment slower and less comfortable. Damon braces use a slide mechanism to hold the wire, which allows teeth to move more freely, quickly and comfortably.




Damon braces are designed to be discreet, comfortable and easy to keep clean. Without the elastic ties which attract and collect plaque, Damon braces make dental hygiene easy during treatment.


10 comments:

chris k said...

i´m getting these too! i¨m tres happy about the new technology since the last time i had braces.

amycq said...

those look pretty cool! I had ceramic ones on top at first. They're great for blending in with your teeth but..were really bulky and my surgeon said he won't work with those because if during surgery one wants to give, they have a tendency to fracture into tiny pieces instead of just pop off like a metal bracket would. So I had to change them to metal!

Sounds like you are on your way! Have you had braces before?

Aimee said...

Hi Amy! No, I've never had braces before. I am getting nervous to get them on actually. I was excited at first, but now I am nervous. I have quite a few crowns, so I guess I am worried about them getting messed up or coming off because of the braces. He said I might have to have my implant crown/bridge replaced after the surgery because it might not fit my new bite so I am worried about that too since it was a whopping $6000!!! I guess I'll have to just wait and see what happens...

Brandyleigh35 said...

Hey Aimee, yep, that are lots of different types of brackets. I researched this heavily before getting mine on and told my ortho I wanted self ligating brackets. I have Time2 ones instead of Damon's as my dentist has Damon's but doesn't like them.

Anyway...my son had them also and he was out of braces in about 15 months. I'm coming up on 18 though, and my teeth were really not that bad so I'm not sure how much they speed things up.

Something I absolutely hate aobut them, is that with self ligating brackets your adjustments are only every 8 weeks. That is a long time between adjustments. I also got them because I didn't want to deal with rubberbands, but I found later on that I actually wished that I could have them as the whole process gets so boring after awhile. Last but not least, one of the big issues with these type of brackets is that since the wires are closed in a door without rubberband to secure them, they have a tendency to migrate. By that I mean that the wires sometimes slide in the brackets so you end up having to go to the ortho more often for pokey archwires, which they often don't clip but simply slide back into position. They sometimes have to put like metal stoppers on the wire to keep it from sliding too.

AS for being worried about the braces I have a lot of crowns, as well as a lower brige and "knock on wood" have had no issues. My bridge fits amazingly well considering it was done many years ago before I ever decided to do all this, and I haven't had anything break or come off.

You will be fine!

Brandy

Aimee said...

Hi Brandy,
Well, now the Damons don't sound too exciting afterall :) I don't have a choice though since this is all my ortho is offering me. He said they are the best when it comes to surgical cases.
I'm glad to hear you didn't have any problems with your crowns or bridge. It wouldn't be a big deal if I had money to burn, but I really don't. Thanks for reading and commenting; I really appreciate it!

allison said...

wow, cool! i've never even heard of those.

amy - good information! i read on someone's blog that they had to switch to metal brackets, and now i know why!

Erin said...

Those look cool. I am very interested in hearing your experiences with them. It wasn't something my orthodontist used, although I had heard of damon brackets (at least the technology) before.

They look really tiny. I'm jealous. I wonder if they will really be less painful due to their smaller size. Mine feel so big and always have. If I were starting treatment now, I'd definitely consider the kind you're getting!


Some orthos won't do ceramic brackets with surgical cases. Some will. It didn't present as an issue with my OD and my OS never said anything. But like Amy said, I've also heard that they don't just "pop off" like the metal ones. It can get messy. So, I'm in for some discomfort the day I get my braces off.

Melissa M. said...

I'm getting the Damon braces too! I had to watch a little video on them at the orthodontist's office, and i like how they're less noticeable.

Aimee said...

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they look discreet at all. I have half ceramic/half metal brackets and they look big and ugly on my teeth. I do have small teeth so maybe that is why. I am not enjoying these braces one bit. I have been covering my mouth when I speak because I feel like they look hideous. I hope I get used to them soon since I will be in them for at least two years.

Shontelly said...

WOW! I wish I could have gotten those! I bet they are a dream - especially after getting surgery.