Damon Clear Brackets

[meggo]

I just got damon braces today. the office has been using the damon system for a while now, but they just got new clear damon brackets and i'm the first person to use them. i just have six on the uppers. ive tried googling and searching for more info about these, but havent really come across anything?? does anyone else have these???

[Sunny]

Hi Meggo and welcome to this forum!

These are new to the damon brand and it's surprising there's not more advertising about them, since the damon company appears to have a HUGE marketing budget.

I've seen a small brochure on them ... only coz it was delivered to work. They look just like any other clear bracket and I'm sure they'll allow the archwire to do a great job with your teeth.

Remember the bracket doesn't move your teeth. To get a great bite and smile it's about having a skilled orthodontist and the archwires. Plus other 'bits and pieces' that are needed along the way, like powerchains, elastics etc.

Good luck with adjusting to having braces and the progress that will soon follow!

PS ... if you go to the blog section, you can start your blog in there and also include photos of your new brackets!

[morettina]

Hi there! Lucky you!
I just got mine on the 18th of December and they are the metal Damon 3's. However my orthodontist said that the clear ones hadn't come out in Canada yet. He's attending a Damon conference in February and said he suspects they will announce the clear ones for Canada! If so, he will change mine free of charge! I can't wait!
Do you have pics? They must look nice....
Keep us posted!
Morettina

[meggo]

hey guys! you guys are so sweet! heres a quick pic i took in hte dark with my computer, ill create a profile like sunny suggested this week if i get a chance which will have some better pics maybe. they are super clear though! i was psyched to get em. only 6 in the front uppers, but im their first case in the office. seems like they're the same as the metal ones so far.

[Sunny]

Looking good Meggo!

The ceramic brackets need to be the same height off the tooth as the metal brackets, so that they can be mixed on the same arch, as the archwire (which is what moves teeth), needs to run smoothly at the same level above each tooth.

I look forward to following your progress in the blogs section!

[morettina]

They look great!!! Are you in Canada or the U.S? Apparently the clear brackets are out in the US according to my ortho but not in Canada which is what we're waiting for in February!
You'll see that wire straighten out very soon!
Do keep us posted!

[mikeg]

those look great.. can't even tell they are there!

[meggo]

ya, im in the US. it's so weird though that damon doesnt have them on their website or anythingg. i can't wait for this wire to straighten out then they should be even less noticeable. this is my third day with em and still in a lot of pain hopefully tomorrow starts to get better. my ortho said prob two years in these guys, but said it could go faster becuase i had braces once before and because the damon system can shorten the time too. well seeeeeee.....

[jenmcho]

I am debating on whether I should get regular clear braces or the damon clear ones. From the brochure I was given, it looks like with the damon clear braces, only hald of the bracket is actually clear, ...so its half metal, half clear.....and essentially, it does not diguise the appearance of braces as well as regular clear braces....any thoughts?

Also, the orthodontist mentioned the possibility of having rubber bands later during treatment.....does this apply for damon braces also?

Lastly, does anyone know whether treatment time varies between metal damon braces and the clear damon braces?

I am really unsure about the braces, please help provide some insight!

[Sunny]

High jenmcho and welcome to this forum.

Good luck with choosing your brackets, it can be quite confusing when an ortho has several options. I don't know what brand the ceramic brackets are that you're comparing to, but most brands have totally clear ones. The damon brand have been a bit slow bringing a totally clear bracket out and it's just become available, and is the one that Meggo's ortho is using. Prior to this this brand had a part clear and half metal bracket, which sounds like the one your ortho is offering.

Elastics can be used with any and all brackets ... remember brackets don't move teeth, the archwires and skill of our ortho's using these archires, powerchains, elastics etc that do this work. Since brackets don't move teeth ... the design, brand, colour, material of the bracket etc will not affect your treatment time. Some marketing companies will try and tell you that one type of brand works better than another ... this is purely marketing ... and when you remind yourself that brackets don't move teeth ... it helps you make sense of this.

Either let the ortho you trust choose the bracket s/he prefers to use, or you choose the bracket you like the look of the most from the ones they use.

Good luck!

[wycket]

Hello! I'm new to the forum, and am getting my braces Tuesday (1/12). Meggo, those look fantastic! I believe my ortho is offering Clarity SL, but after seeing your photo, I'd really like to get into the Damon clear instead! I know they offer the metal Damon system, so perhaps they'll have the clear soon! I'll be placing a call today, and will be keeping my fingers crossed.

[jenmcho]

Thanks Sunny....that is super helpful!!! My ortho seems pretty up to date on technology....the half clear, half metal type he mentioned during my consultation was back in November...maybe two months later now he might have the full clear damons?....do you know around when those became available?

I am getting my braces in about a week and will be going in tomorrow to get all my teeth picures taken for records...I will ask them then whether they have the ALL clear!...that would be awesome!!!

[Sunny]

We received a brochure advertising them a few months back, but there's still limited information available.

Meggo writes that she's the first person to get them where she's receiving treatment, and I've read somewhere else that in Canada they're due to be made available soon. Please remember ... brackets do not affect your treatment ... they can't move teeth, although how they look does affect our choices. The most important thing is to choose an ortho who your trust!

Good luck with getting your records done and your treatment getting underway!

[speechy]

I'm in Canada and am getting Damon Clear on March 1st... My ortho has had them in his office for a little while now so I'm not sure why other people are being told they're not yet out in Canada! I'm also disappointed about there not being much advertising and information for them!! Please let me know if anyone finds out more info!

[Sunny]

Speechy don't be concerned that there's not much advertising out yet ... coz the important thing is that your ortho has chosen to use these brackets. It's your ortho's skill and the archwires and add ons, not the brackets that move teeth ... so please don't worry about it.

Some ortho's will have taken an 'option' to trial the new brackets before they're made more available. This may explain why your ortho has had then a bit longer. They're only been available for a short time and so far I've not heard of any ortho's in this area who've bought them. Ortho's who use this brand, will most likely wait till current supplies run low and then order in.

Good luck with on 1 March!

[jzm2112]

Hi Meggo,

My 10yr old son is getting braces in March and I am thinking about the Damon Q's or Damon Clears. How are the clear working for you? Like with you the clears are pretty new to our Ortho's office so Nick would be the first one to get the them. Your's look really nice.

I would be interested to hear your feedback since you have had them on for a little while now.

Thanks,
Nicksmom

[meggo]

heyy, yea i was actually the first one in my ortho's office to get them. they said they should be the same as the metal ones and shouldn't stain or anything like that. so far, so good. i had some of those natural fruit popsicles in the first few days which turned em pink, but as soon as i brushed my teeth they were good as new. other than that they are the same as the metal, just less noticeable. i only have 6 clear on the top and the rest are metal. you can still see the wire, but they are still much less noticeable than the metal brackets. ill take another picture a little later tonight and post it. there's also another picture in my blog from a week or so ago. lemme know if u have any other questions

[jzm2112]

Thanks Meggo I appreciate it.

I have gotten some great feedback and we have a little while to go before Nick gets his braces on. He is not very happy about the whole braces idea so if clear brackets will make him feel better and they do what the metal bracket can do...I am all for it.

I showed him the pics that you posted and he thought they looked good too.

Nicksmom

[Szaaad]

[QUOTE=Sunny;13725]Looking good Meggo!

The ceramic brackets need to be the same height off the tooth as the metal brackets, so that they can be mixed on the same arch, as the archwire (which is what moves teeth), needs to run smoothly at the same level above each tooth.


Hi Sunny!

I don't want to be rude, but why do you have to write in ALLLLLLL of your comments that "brackets don't move teeth" ? Really, it's getting a little old... I don't want to hurt you though.
By the way... I have Damon system as well. And it's true what you say, but in the Damon system, the wires are also different than "old school" braces or other systems. That's why I didn't get to pull any of my teeth.

I have the half-clear brackets. These clear ones are SOOOOO pretty!!!! You are lucky Meggo!

(Sorry if my grammar is bad.. I am from Hungary.)

[Sunny]

Hi Szaaad

I write it to help people understand that orthodontics is not about brackets ... but about finding a skilled orthodontist.

It's also to help educate people like you who refer to 'old school' braces as something other than your system. The brackets I have are more recently designed than all except the clear damon brackets ... and there's nothing 'old school' about the brackets that most ortho's use today and the damon brand only has a small market. The archwires are the same ... and if you didn't need teeth pulled with your current brackets, then any good ortho wouldn't have needed to pull teeth with any other system. There's nothing brackets can do to prevent or cause teeth to be pulled ... why ... because ... brackets don't move teeth! It's simple ... and it's true!

Your grammar is fine... and good luck with your treatment!

[annabella]

I am looking into ortho for my daughter. The main difference in the Damon SYSYEM is that exactly. It is a system...you have the brackets which allow the wire to move and it must be in concert with the titanium memory wires. Traditional braces don't use memory wire and the brackets are clamped to the wire. Very different system. But now we are looking into the SureSmile , also uses memory wire heat bent by a a special robot that uses a 3-d model of your teeth to prescribe accurate movement.

Has anyone else gotten the Suresmile?

[Sunny]

Annabella most orthodontist use only memory wires and like us have never used the damon brand. With non SL (no more tradition that SL brackets) ligs gently wrap round the bracket to cushin the inside of the mouth ... they do not affect the ability of the tooth to move.

The main difference is in the marketing and hype attached to a particular brand. There hundreds of different brands and yet only one brand is using so much money to advertise ... interesting why it has to.

The brackets are not a system ... they are brackets.

Suresmile is a computerised treatment and reported to be good at helping orthodontist's produce some of the small movements that they may not be skilled enough to do without the use of computers. I attended a couple of trainings with Suresmile consultants and they seem like they have developed a product that some people might benefit from.

Good luck with finding the right treatment.

[annabella]

Sunny,

Thanks for your comment.

Yes a car is a car. But I sure like my MB better than my VW, both german but reliabilty not even close. Sorry to say not all wires all the same and not all ortho use them. But Damon has guidelines of which wires they recommend for which phase and treatment. Ok on the ligs, are you saying they are for cushioning. Hun that is what holds the wire and bracket in place. You know like tension thus friction. Both orthos suggested a SL bracket, smaller , less are restrictive, look better and easier to clean. And some orthos use a heavy wire to move things faster by force which can cause problems. Happened to my sister she had bone loss and problems now and she wore them 4 years.
The damom is a passive SL system. Total different dynamics.
Now the suresmile is a bent memory wire that trys to pull the tooth to the orginal curve and is suppose to be more accurate with the 3d model. I'm not sure if is a lighter force but it is constant until it reaches it desired location. Any type of bracket SL or L.

But I know we all choose what is right for us. But before I get my daughter braces I want to be as informed as I can.

[Sunny]

Annabella I'm sorry you've been affected by the hype that goes with one particular brand of bracket. Since you want to be well informed, I suggest you read some of the articles Dr Tam, the orthodontist who writes for this forum, has written about this particular brand.

One of the orthodontist's who's joined the practice I work for said he did initially try this bracket due to the claims, but quickly realised the claims were not substainted. He also didn't like the way the damon bracket is higher off the tooth, although found most patients adjusted, it just took a little longer.

I'm sorry your sister had an orthodontist who didn't do his job properly. The same thing can be done if memory wires are changed too quickly for how the teeth are moving. This is why it's not about brackets but the skill of the orthodontist.

Friction is often required in orthodontic work ... and the reason why even with sl brackets ligs are sometimes used in a figure eight, wire ties, powerchains, elastic cords etc are often use. When using non sl brackets, a lig placed in a figure eight will produce the friction, or wire ties etc ... so these options are available with both types of brackes.

The cleaning of brackets that have doors has been found wanting. The door can trap bacteria behind them.

We buy our memory archwires from the same company that supplies many brackets ... including the damon brand. They sell both sl and non sl brackets and the products that go with them.

Good luck with your daughter's treatment.

[Szaaad]

Hi Szaaad

I write it to help people understand that orthodontics is not about brackets ... but about finding a skilled orthodontist.

It's also to help educate people like you who refer to 'old school' braces as something other than your system. The brackets I have are more recently designed than all except the clear damon brackets ... and there's nothing 'old school' about the brackets that most ortho's use today and the damon brand only has a small market. The archwires are the same ... and if you didn't need teeth pulled with your current brackets, then any good ortho wouldn't have needed to pull teeth with any other system. There's nothing brackets can do to prevent or cause teeth to be pulled ... why ... because ... brackets don't move teeth! It's simple ... and it's true!

Your grammar is fine... and good luck with your treatment!

Hi!

Looks like we won't agree in this.. I just wanted to say that with the "old school" thing I meant traditional.
And one more thing! I don't think, that in Hungary I only found bad orthos... Cause I went to five different orthodonthists and they all said that in my case there are practically two chances: teeth pull, or Damon. And that's just not me. On other forums there are discussions in the same subject.

So that's all I wanted to say.

Szaaad checks out.

[Sunny]

Szaaad sometimes extractions are necessary ... but if they needed with one bracket type ... they're also needed with all the others. The 'no extraction' thing that damon use as a marketing tool, is exactly that, a marketing tool. I doubt all the orthos you went to are bad ... they just have see different ways of treating your mouth.

By the way ... I'm not against the damon bracket ... it looks like a mighty find bracket and the manufacturers produce other great products also. What I don't like is the marketing hype that sucks people into believing stuff that just hasn't been able to hold up under investigation/research.

Good luck with your continuing search!

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Damon Clear is available in Canada, though they just arrived recently. A friend of mine has started using them on his patients. He's located in Eastern Canada.

For those excited about a new bracket, it may be a good idea to see what types or results have been produced by orthodontists using them, before jumping right in. There was huge hype about Clarity SL when it first came on the market, yet many orthodontists have had difficulty achieving rotational movements, let alone torque, with them.

As for the use of memory wires... they have been used in orthodontics for years during initial alignment. However, only Damon markets to the public about their high-tech wires. Virtually all "systems", including Damon, switch to a stiffer wire without shape memory later in treatment. I would say that 99% of orthodontists use these NiTi wires to align the teeth. The other 1% would be those treat patients exclusively with aligners or have allergies to nickel.

[meggo]

just thought i'd add my two cents regarding the 'hype..' i chose my ortho based on research and recommendations rather than the fact that he was using the damon system. i had traditional braces a few years ago with an unskilled ortho.. which is why im in the position i am now... getting braces again. i blame it on the ortho, not the braces. i went with damen because this is what my ortho uses and i was lucky enough to get clear. that was a major plus in my book, but i didnt even know i was getting them until i was in the chair. so i agree with the others that its about the orthos skill. as far as damen vs traditional go based on my own experience so far.. i dont see much. i have a thin wire.. but i did when i first got traditional ones.. they hurt just as much.. damons are farther off the teeth... but your mouth gets used to them just as quickly as traditional braces.
off to post a new pic on my blog!!

[Trish]

Hey Meggo-Our stories are similar. I too am the first person in my Orthos office to get the clear Damon brackets and I have them only on the front 6 teeth. I have the reg Damons on the rest. I also got them on Jan. 5, 2010. I had braces when I was 13, but had some shifting over the years so....now at 46 years old, I got them again. My sister-in-law works there and encouraged me to do it. How are you adjusting now?

[pakipinagirl]

I got my Damon clear bracket braces today....I put a video on YouTube lol I'm gonna track my progress. Well, the top 6 are clear and the rest are metal.

YouTube - I got my braces today!

[lauralea]

Im getting damon clear in a few weeks, and yes I live in Canada. My ortho has already put them on a few patients and he sayd they work and look great. He thinks ill be very pleased with them, so im really looking forward to getting them on. And yes, only getting them on the front 6, metal for the bottom, which Im not so happy about, but then again, i quess this is the norm?!?!?!
Dr. Tam, who is this dentist from Eastern Canada that you know that is offering them?

[mikeg]

Those damon clear brackets sure do look good.

I had clear on top and metal on the bottom. It worked out great and saved some cash.

Try to get some video of being braced

[lauralea]

I do want to ask if they dont mind videotaping the bonding process. Do they usually mind this? Do I just go out and ask when I get there or do I need to make prior arrangements??
Has anyone else videotaped the process at all?

[Sunny]

I recommend you contact your ortho to ask Lauralea. We have never allowed people to video, only due to the need to keep the area around the patient available to the ortho and the assistant. Our rooms don't have a lot of space, as we have one room per patient. Your ortho may be quite happy to do this ... but it would be better to check first. We do allow one 'support' person to be in the room and they can take a photo or two ... as long as they keep out of the way of the workers.

It would be a great record, but if by chance you can't do it, ask if your 'support' person can take some photos and then make sure they stay were the staff tell them to.

In 14 sleeps it will be exciting times for you!

[Ljepotica]

Hello Sunny!
I wanted to thank you for the information you posted about braces, i was feeling very discouraged today about my braces, because i'm 35 and i had them for 2 years, i'm getting a bit sick of it, and i was feeling mad because when i found out about the damon system trhough a client of mine, i got uspet that my ortho didn't offer it to me at the time.( i realize that probably they didn't have it back then)
Well your posts made me feel much better, is not about the bracket but the skills of the orthodontist, and actually by reading the posts i see my ortho is very good, he knows what he is doing, i guess is like you say, sometimes when a new product comes out there is a lot of hipe about it, but the memory wires are used in braces today.
I hope i won't be wearing this too much longer!:(

[Sunny]

Great that you have a good ortho and you know that his skill is what count.

Here's to us both having free teeth very soon!

[purpleberry711]

I got my Damon braces a week ago, six clears on the upper front teeth and the rest are metals. The first 3 days were terrible (soreness!) but it got much better now! My ortho only uses Damon system and he is a well-established ortho in my area. I do agree that having a skilled ortho is much more important than getting certain type of brands. Even if my ortho did not use Damon I would still be fine with it. The end result is what I hope for.

[bonniestpierre]

Does anyone know when Damon Clear will be available in the UK? My ortho told me they would be available sometime between March and June, and would get in touch, but have found a place in London which are advertising them.

[lauralea]

they have been released to some orthos as part of a trial thing. Not everywere can get them yet, and unfortunatly there is pretty much NO info from the damon system website. Which I am quite disapointed in.
However, I am very glad those are the brackets I have. They are great thus far, only been in them a month, but teeth are moving, isintthat the whole point?

[iluvkst]

Hi Szaaad

I write it to help people understand that orthodontics is not about brackets ... but about finding a skilled orthodontist.

It's also to help educate people like you who refer to 'old school' braces as something other than your system. The brackets I have are more recently designed than all except the clear damon brackets ... and there's nothing 'old school' about the brackets that most ortho's use today and the damon brand only has a small market. The archwires are the same ... and if you didn't need teeth pulled with your current brackets, then any good ortho wouldn't have needed to pull teeth with any other system. There's nothing brackets can do to prevent or cause teeth to be pulled ... why ... because ... brackets don't move teeth! It's simple ... and it's true!

Your grammar is fine... and good luck with your treatment!

Hi Sunny. My son is getting braces next month. I've made the decision to let him get Damon brackets. My question is about the forsus. Do they pull the jaw out of socket in order to fix an overbite? I went to another ortho office and this is what they told me. I think they were just trying to scare me into using them and not the first dentist I used...any advice you can give would be appreceiated! Are youan ortho dr.? Thanks!

[Sunny]

That sounds horrible and definitely not correct.

If your son is still growing his jaw can be adjusted, as the bones in his mouth won't be totally fused. Onces the bones are fused the only way that the jaw can change shape is by having surgery and what orthodontics does in those cases (which is for most of us on this site), it realigns the teeth in the exisitng jaw to corrects the alginement.

The archwire is what moves the teeth and the ortho will make sure your son's teeth align, his overbite is corrected.

Talk to your ortho about any issues or fears you might have and make sure you're happy with the answers. Any concerns and it's recommended you consult with another orthodontist or two.

The best ways to make this process easy for your son is to make sure he understands about the need to be extra careful with his oral hygiene. It's not about bushing more or harder, in fact for the health of his gums it's best to brush slowly and gently and never near the gum area. Flossing is an essential part of oral hygiene and needs to be done once a day, even though it will take a bit longer when he first gets braces. Next he needs to take good care of his mouth. That's about using wax generously if any of the brackets rub and leaving it on when he's eating. Wax only needs to be removed when you're brushing. Usually it doesn't take long for your mouth to toughen with the wax, and it's much better than having to cope with sores and then the new skin having to go through the toughening process again. The next most important thing is too drink more water than usual, so that his hydation levels are great. Good hydration is great for your body as well as your mouth.

I hope everything goes well for your son.

I'm still studying ... plis I also work for three orthodontist's ... and they often help me write these comments.

[josie]

Perhaps the other ortho office was talking about what happens during surgery? Perhaps there was some miscommunication going on and they were saying they have to take the jaw out of socket during surgery?