My lower Damon 3's are to be replaced....

Message

#1 Post by **Attagirl2** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:56 am

Well, I went in for arch wire changes today and again, they could not get the doors open on my lower teeth. (For the last two weeks I have been using the anti plaque rinse for 2 to 3 minutes followed at least twice a day with my Shower Floss blasting into each bracket) Today while in the chair I had the softening gel on those teeth a full 10 minutes (8 minutes longer than recommended!) None of them would open. Even the doctor has given up. This is the second time I will have to have all the lowers replaced. Next week, he is going to put on another brand of brackets. He keeps telling me, "You will be written up as a case study!" All I can say is, It's a good thing I am a patient person...

#2 Post by SW » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:27 am

How fustrating that must be for you, Attagirl. Hopefully changing to different brackets will solve the problem and you won't have to go through that anymore!

#3 Post by **Metal Mouth Guy** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:32 am

I wondered about the possibilities of a galvanic type reaction when I first read about those brackets. Stainless reacts with many materials. And some ceramics are excellent conductors.

Curious....

MMG

#4 Post by **momof2grlz** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:27 pm

Oh, Attagirl! I'm so sorry you're still having trouble with your Damons. Just think, by the time you're ready to get your braces removed, you'll be such a pro, it won't even phase you.

Chris

#5 Post by **KittyW** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:11 pm

WOw, sorry to hear about that Atta. I have a bracket on my lower front tooth that I can pop open myself. It needs to be replaced because the plastic top part is worn. The Damons really are plaque attractors!!! What did they replace your lowers with?

#6 Post by **Attagirl2** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:31 pm

Hi Kitty, I have to wait until next Wednesday to get it done. What should have been a 1/2 hour appointment turned into an hour. They were very busy today. He wanted it done tomorrow, but there wasn't any time open. The first they could do it was Wednesday morning. The time worked for me, so that's when it will get done. I forget what he told the assistant he would use. I will pay more attention next Wednesday.

I think the makers of Damon 3's ought to have to reimburse me for my braces as I have spent so much time just trying to get them to function properly. It is not my fault I make tartar galoure!

#7 Post by **beanstix** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:48 pm

Hi Attagirl - sorry to hear about this - what a pain. You may remember my previous posts and I can relate to your frustration as I am also a plaque factory and get tartar build-up. Would you not consider normal style brackets (ie. not Damons) without doors, for the rest of your treatment or would that be out of the question? To have your brackets replaced a second time must be so tedious - there's enough to worry about without this extra hassle.

#8 Post by **Attagirl2** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:59 am

Hi beanstix. I would consider regular braces, in fact, that is what I originally requested. It took a few months for me to get them put on and by that time my orthodontist quit using regular ones. I am pretty sure he is going to use another type of self ligating bracket.

Will know next week, for sure.

He is also going to bracket my second molars. I mentioned that on the right side, the last top and bottom teeth were not meeting in alignment. The assistant said they don't do those teeth, but she would let him know my concern. He looked at them and said he would bracket them for me, since I wanted them fixed.

#9 Post by **beanstix** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:54 am

Attagirl, hope you get fitted with braces that suit your mouth better. Can't help thinking that all self-ligating braces would be susceptible to tar tar deposits and get jammed up, though?

Interesting that you should mention about the second molar banding. I keep wondering about this as all my second molars are way out of line... I want to have them banded but at the same time don't want the extra cleaning involved! All my first molars are banded. My ortho likes to keep me in suspense, so I expect she'll do something about them when she's good and ready. Do you know if you're having brackets or bands on your seconds?

Pl. let us know how you get on.

#10 Post by **BraceMD** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 7:50 pm

I feel your pain! I have one bracket on the bottom that needs to be replaced every time I go for a wire change, because the Damon 3 lig gets stuck shut with plaque (supposedly, although I use Plax twice daily and brush so frequently...)

My ortho is baffled by this.

I HATE, HATE, HATE having the Damon 3's "Popped" open at the orthodontist. It's not easy to pop those things open, and as the assistant digs her little tool in and pushes and pulls to force them open... I hold my breath to keep from yelling. If I had realized how hard it is to get them open, I would not have gone with Damon 3's.

#11 Post by **beady** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:01 pm

Wow! that is spooky!

last week I went in to get my wires changed. Every time I visit it is a running joke about how impossible it is to get my damon 3's opened (I only have them on the bottom). Apparently I have a lot of calcium in my saliva which means tartar can build up very easily even though I brush my teeth very well. Sometimes those visits have made my eyes water trying to get those bloomin' brackets open! I normally have to have that sonic thing clean all the brackets before they open.

Anyway, the last time I went, none of them would open. then it turned out that 6 of them were broken. The doors literally wobble open now! He didn't have enough time to sort it out so I go back next wednesdya to have them all replaced. He is going to send them back to the manufacturer. I will have them replaced with normal ceramics. Apparently, I am the only one in his practise with that problem but my argument was that surely I can't be the only person in the world with the saliva problem and surely the manufacturers should have borne this in mind! He agreed and said the problem is is that companies are so quick to get the latest gadgets on the market quickly without testing them properly!

Just wanted you to know that you are not alone and i am glad that I am not alone. In the past I have had severe gum disease and I have dark triangles between all my teeth now and I feel even more self conscious because of the braces. its a little bit more comforting to know that strange things in my saliva coupled with crooked teeth that were hard to clean have been a factor in my problems. I have been to many dentists who blamed me for not brushing my teeth properly but my ortho and my perio said that I am just more genetically disposed to it... and having a baby did not help (you can see why I am now terified of having a second child!). at 32 I feel gutted by it all but now i am the road to having straight, easy-to-clean teeth, all may not be lost!

Anyway, i am rambling now so goodnight!

Claire

#12 Post by **Attagirl2** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:33 pm

Gee Claire, thank you for letting me know I am not the ONLY one that has to have them replaced. This will be the third set of brackets on the bottoms since I started, not to mention a few that were replaced individually because they wouldn't open.

Thanks everybody for your encouraging words. I will let you know what they put on me.

#13 Post by **ANYA** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:03 am

Hi there. Have not been on the board for a while. I just saw this post and wow this sounds familiar. Every time I go for an adjustment they have hard time opening the brackets but its even worse closing them. Last Friday it took 3 people and several instruments to get them to close. I thought they are going to break my teeth right off so much pressure was needed. I think there must be something done by the manufacturer.

Regards, Anja
7 month in Damon 3