Damon clear vs. metal

[soprano_soul]

Hi Everyone,

Think this is such a great forum....

I am sure this question has been asked so many times...but I am due to have braces on (for the second time....had them when I was younger and am now resolving some TMJ issues and re-doing the braces thing!) and am really struggling with deciding on the bracket type to get.

I have the option of the traditional damons, or the totally clear damons on the upper front 6 (which seem to be the newest addition to the damon line?).

How do I figure out which ones to pick?

I know you always see the wire with whichever bracket you choose, but have always wondered if people with clear brackets just looked like there was something `strange` looking with regards to their teeth (at least from a bit of a distance)....whereas if you have the full metal kind, people just know right away that you have braces!?!

If anyone has pictures or advice....please pass any information along that you can! I have the hardest time trying to figure out what to decide, and could really use some assistance!!!

Much appreciated!

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome to this forum!

There are many photos on this forum for you to see, but the most important thing for you, is to choose what you believe you'll feel the best in.

We offer all our patients the ceramic brackets for their upper six ... and most take this and are thrilled with their decision.

Most people don't notice that other people have braces ... there lives are busy and other peoples teeth don't interest them. For those of us thinking about or having ortho treatment, it's very different, as many of us are consumed with the whole braces thing and see them even when they're not there. I've had both ceramic and metal ... and to be honest the ceramic was easier to wear due to the comfort factor and my own confidence. If I was to start my treatment again ... I'd still choose ceramic for my upper 5 ... don't have upper six due to an impacted canine.

To help our patients we say ... change your way of thinking about this ... it's not about what you see on the teeth of others, but what you see on your teeth when you look at them. Hopefully that will help!

Good luck with your decision!

[soprano_soul]

Hi Sunny,

Thanks so much for the advice. I am still struggling a bit with the choice, mostly I am horrible at making decisions, especially one that will be stuck to my teeth for about 2 years!

You are exactly correct about being consumed by this process when you are in the middle of it. I find I get that way about anything that I am doing. (Am also in the middle of a basement renovation project, and my house is a disaster, and it takes me forever to pick a new faucet!!)

My cost for the full treatment with braces will be about $6000. Same price for the clear damons or the metal.

I should have prefaced my message earlier by saying that I have had a lower splint on since July (about 6 months), which has reverted my lower jaw to its 'normal' position.

It seemed that my upper jaw had over the years pulled my lower jaw out of place by trying to find a harmonious 'bite pattern' and I have had some TMJ issues consequently. It also seems that I am a bit of a night-grinder, so my ortho might keep me with a lower splint down the line to save my teeth from further grinding.

Now, my lower jaw is slightly too narrow for my upper jaw, and it looks like (fortunately) braces will solve the problem (was first thought that surgery might be necessary...which I was trying to avoid)

I had the whole 'nine-yards' of braces, headgear etc when I was about 9-14, so I was not terribly impressed to have to do it all over again....especially since it is ALL out of pocket for me. Oh well....I would rather get things fixed now and be happier down the line.

Anyway, thanks again for your words of encouragement....it really helps to have others feedback. I think this is such a great forum, and look forward to chatting more to others about the process as it goes.

Cheers!

[Brace Face]

Hi Soprano Soul

I am a completely new member and am enjoying looking around these forums and reading everyones stories. Yours jumped out at me because I have Damons on the bottom and top except for the upper 6 which are Clarity. The Damons are metal and the Clarity are clear. Both the Clarity and Damons are self ligating so they don't need elastics to hold the archwire in. I believe, because they are self ligating, the treatment can be faster.

I have always felt that my metal Damons are quite noticeable and 'chunkier' looking than standard braces so I am very glad I have the Clarity too. Perhaps you could ask your Orthodontist to show you the differences between the two before you make a final decision. Despite my top 6 having clear brackets my teeth still very much look they are in braces rather than looking a strange so I wouldn't worry about that. To be honest, by the time your Orthodontist adds things like tie wires, power chains and elastic bands to move your jaw about there leaves very little doubt that you are wearing braces despite all the glossy pictures we are shown of so called 'discreet' appliances.

I hope this helps a little. I am, every day, pleased that I went for the clear ones at the front, especially as there was no performance compromise to have them.

Good Luck

[soprano_soul]

Hi Brace Face,

Thanks so much for your reply and feedback....was much appreciated! I am going to ask my ortho if he can do the damon clear on the top 8 and perhaps the bottom 6 if at all possible. But if not, I will be happy with the 6 clear on top.

I had braces as a child/teen, and am really glad to have the self-litigating this time....not as fun to have coloured elastics when you aren't a kid anymore!

All the best to your braces journey....when are you set to be done your treatment?

Cheers!

[Brace Face]

Hiya. I have had my 'hardware' on for 8 months and I was told that I would need them for 18-24 months. My ortho did say at my last appointment that it would be less than 24so fingers crossed i'll graduate early! Good luck with yours, you'll be amazed at how quickly you teeth will start to move. People already ask me why I have them as they can't see anything wrong with my teeth. Let me know when you get them, would love to know how you're getting on.

[annabella]

Well we had another ortho consult and he was very good. I liked everything except the country music they played. He prescribed the smartclips or clarity. So I asked if it was ok to have ceramics on both top and bottom. He said they make sure that the teeth don't touch and in my daughter case hers touch even less since he said she needs more of an overbite. The other orthos didn't say that so I'll need to check. He also said the ceramics are 400 extra. The Damon ortho didn't charge extra for clear but now I need to find out if it's all teeth or just top. But get this my daughter says she wants the metal mouth cuz all her friends have it. I am afraid that later when more people get the clear she'll regret it. This ortho also had a longer treatment 18-20 months because he wants to change her bite but others didn't quite mention it the same way.
More confusion!!!

[soprano_soul]

Hiya. I have had my 'hardware' on for 8 months and I was told that I would need them for 18-24 months. My ortho did say at my last appointment that it would be less than 24so fingers crossed i'll graduate early! Good luck with yours, you'll be amazed at how quickly you teeth will start to move. People already ask me why I have them as they can't see anything wrong with my teeth. Let me know when you get them, would love to know how you're getting on.

Hey Brace face,

Will let you know how things go when I have them put on (will be March 23rd). I am sure you will be 'free' early...that would be nice for you!

I will try to remember to get back in touch with you when I have them on to let you know how I am progressing.

All the best to you!

[lauralea]

Ill be gettin damon clears in about 10 hr now...boy the countdown really begins eh?

[Sunny]

Not long to go Lauralea!

This is an exciting time for you and here's to you soon loving your new smile!

[lauralea]

If anyone is interested i knowing, Damon Clears are great! Love them, they are really hard to notice from a small distance. Im still dissapointed with how little information there is out there. Hopefully they will be released out to thegeneral damon ortho providers soon. They are really great!

[Sunny]

Hi Lauralea it's great you're so happy with your ortho and his choice of brackets.

We received info about these brackets quite some time ago, but like many ortho's there still hasn't been enough research to show the strength etc of the surfaces of this style of bracket door. I'm able to give feedback from people like yourself to the ortho's I work for, who don't want to use this brand, but are interested in life of these bracket doors.

Here's hoping everything goes smoothly for you!