Damon Braces Problem or Regular?

[Lexifaith]

hi! i'm new in this forum, i'm 24 years old, and English is my third language, so pardon me if i make mistakes...

i got my damon braces last thursday,i'm so happy to finally get em and already i can see movement in my teeth, but also i have concerns ,i have overbite, and it seems after 6 days having them on, my overbite is getting worse since the initial treatment, and also there is now a gap in my lower front teeth, is that common to happen?

I have a question about treatment plan also, since i have overbite and no room for my teeth to move backwards, i need to have extractions, but my ortho said i will have the extractions in 6 months... she said this on my second visit the day i got my braces on, on my first consultation visit she said i can get extractions right after i got them,i thought to myself, my treatment will take quite a while, i chose to use damon because i heard it'll cut the time of your treatment, now i'm not so sure...

help me...

[mikeg]

Hang in there. It is VERY COMMON for a bite to get worse before it gets better with braces treatment.

I like the damon system and am suprised I don't see more of it on here. Hang in there.

Start your blog on here so we can help you along the way.

Any pictures of those damon brackets in action?

[Zoso]

I agree with Mike that it is rather common for it to get worse before it gets better.

With regard to the extractions, I suspect your ortho is waiting until your teeth have progressed past the initial stages of treatment - broadly speaking, orthodontists usually work first on getting the teeth all into an arch (alignment), then levelling them. After that they will progress to work such as modifying the shape of the arch, and other work that is required to address bite issues. These steps are pretty much the same whether you have Damon braces, or any other brand of braces. (There's a lot of hype around Damon, and they do a good job, but at the end of the day they are just another brand of bracket system, and a good orthodontist will do well regardless of the brand of brackets he prefers).

Anyway, the reason you are seeing this overjet get worse at first is probably that your teeth were overcrowded to start and the only way to bring them into a line is by making the arch bigger. Don't worry. You'll probably get elastics later on in treatment to help bring your two dental arches into a better relationship.

As Mike said, now's a great time to start your blog. Keep lots of pictures (if you post them here, do crop to show mouth/teeth only) as you'll find that looking back over them will be the very best way to see that you are progressing.

[Lexifaith]

Thanks mikeg and Zoso for the info...

so i see it is common to happen, but i do have another question, if my ortho want my teeth to align first, why didn't she put braces on the 4 teeth that'll be extracted?

[Zoso]

I'd imagine that the reason she delays extraction is so you do not have to live so long with the gaps. And my guess is it would be pointless/wasteful/achieve nothing positive to bracket the teeth that will be removed.

[Lexifaith]

thanks Zoso...

i thought to align my teeth, all teeth should be put braces on... , i'm really curious about this damon braces,because all the treatment plan i have is very different from all my acquintances that have had braces, they usually got extractions before treatment or a week or two after initial treatment.....

[Lexifaith]

i just like to inform u guys, i think my question earlier occured because i was so curious and nervous on the first days of wearing braces, it's been almost 2 weeks, and i can now see improvement

my overbite which i thought were getting worse, now seems to get better, i think we just have to be patient, and enjoy our time wearing braces,

hi there Mikeg, i might post some pictures soon, maybe after i have adjustment, ;p

[Lexifaith]

i think i should just write it in here,so i went to my ortho today for adjustment, apparently i'm getting extractions tomorrow!so it'll be earlier than expected, if u saw my post , my ortho said i'd probably had extractions in 6 months,i don't know why she changed her mind, but i like it, that means my teeth will move backwards faster, instead of waiting for another 5 months to have rooms to move....

[Sunny]

Great that you're progressing well Lexifaith and you're having your extractions early.

Often decisions regarding treatment are changed depending on the outcome of tooth movement. I had my uppers brackets put on first, and was told my lowers wouldn't go on for a few months. At my first adjustment, six weeks later, my ortho put the lower brackets on, as my bite needed help.

It's good that our treatment plans are flexible!

[lynette]

i think i should just write it in here,so i went to my ortho today for adjustment, apparently i'm getting extractions tomorrow!so it'll be earlier than expected, if u saw my post , my ortho said i'd probably had extractions in 6 months,i don't know why she changed her mind, but i like it, that means my teeth will move backwards faster, instead of waiting for another 5 months to have rooms to move....

I just read some Damon Braces benefits, one of them is it can be able to avoid extractions for the crowding teeth, right? I was wondering why you still need the extraction.

[Sunny]

Lynette the one type of brackets cannot achieve anything another brand can't ... this is purely advertising. If an ortho says a person will need extractions to make room for their teeth to align within the bone of their arch, that is what is required.

[lynette]

Thanks Sunny. tomorrow I will go to see two orthos who can provide Damon braces , see how would they say about my case. I hope no extraction from my healthy teeth, that is why Damon system is so attractive me, it gives me a hope that maybe no extraction need but still can get some spaces by other way. but finally i still need to follow the opinion of doctor.

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

There was a very informative article in one of our recent orthodontic journals. I've summarized it in a blog entry. It basically says the "advantages" of Damon and other self-ligating brackets is not proven. There are only claims from the manufacturers. Biology does not work differently because you are using a different bracket. Keep this in mind when selecting your orthodontist.

MCO Orthodontics: Your Markham Orthodontist and Richmond Hill Braces at Work and At Play: Markham and Toronto Orthodontist Discusses Recent Article about Damon Braces, Self-Ligating Braces, etc.