Mixing ceramic and damon?

Message

#1 Post by **user** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:46 am

Hi,

My orthadontist wants me to use damon to get the palette widening that you can't achieve with normal braces. Obviously I want the best results but I also wanted my braces as unoticable as possible, i.e ceramics. As a comprimise he wants to use ceramic on the front 6, top and bottom, and damon on the rest as he believes he will be able to get just as good results like this as with using damon throughout.

He has never tried to mix the two types of braces like this before, but thinks it will work fine.

Has anyone else had something like this? Did it work? Were there any problems associated with mixing braces?

I would really like to get the Ultradent opals but nowhere near me (UK) does them

Thanks..

#2 Post by **Betty Bat** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:00 am

Well, I guess I have mixed braces. On the top, I have 10 sapphire braces and 4 metal (Damon 2) and on the bottom I have all metal (Damon 2). I don't think that mixing is a problem per se.

But, I'm a little confused by a few things. When you say your orth wants to "use damon to get the palette widening that you can't achieve with normal braces", what do you (or he) consider normal braces? I just haven't heard the terms used like this before.

My bigger concern in your messages is that you say "he has never tried to mix the two types of braces like this before, but thinks it will work fine". If you've been reading this board for a while (and I think you have), then you know that it's the ortho that makes the difference, not the braces. Have you had any other consultations? I'd be a little concerned about someone trying something on me when he hadn't done it before!

#3 Post by **user** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:56 am

by normal I mean non self-ligating, metal or ceramic.

Damon braces can expand the palette unlike "normal" braces I believe, having read the literature etc.

I have had consultations with 4 orthadontists.

I am getting braces primarily to correct my bite (cross bite, over bite and open bite).

All the orthadontists said braces couldn't help me much, that only jaw surgery would work. This is not an option for me.

The recent one was the only one who uses Damon, and said he couldn't get good results for me using "normal" braces, only with Damon (which is the same price).

He has mixed braces before but not in this exact way / combination.

#4 Post by **Betty Bat** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 10:35 am

Thanks for the explanation. I hadn't heard that about the Damon's before.

#5 Post by **user** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:45 pm

wow your results look really good

#6 Post by **user** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:33 pm

I've never heard of In-Ovations, are they metal or tooth coloured?

I am really confused now.

The main reason I want this orthadontist is because he seems confident I'll get results, the others just implied my bite cannot be corrected without surgery.

He's not willing to use full ceramics on me.

GRR Im confused again

#7 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:43 pm

If you like him and he thinks he can fix things without surgery, then go for it! Did all the other orthos say you needed surgery?

I have damon's and I really like them. I bought into the hype and I don't care!

If it means I have my braces off even two months sooner, then in my opinion they are totally worth it. Even if it means I have my braces off one more month earlier I am willing to try it! I went blissfully along with all that marketing hype and don't regret my decision for a second!

Anyway, my ortho was the same as yours. He seems to think that I would have a nice wide arch with the damons but then, I didn't have a narrow arch to begin with!

I was also the same as you. If the ortho had said surgery or extractions I would have run the other way.

Do what you think will work best for you. Don't let anyone here discourage you. The only thing I would be worried about is if 3 other orthos are saying you need surgery and this one isn't, I would have a conversation with him about what happens if his methods don't work. What then?

#8 Post by **wahnyc** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:42 pm

This damon hype on this msg board is getting ridiculous... Damons are no different than any other passive self-ligating bracket. Just look at them.. it is a bracket with a slot... look at every other bracket out there. Same thing, a bracket with a slot. If you need surgery, then you need surgery. Damons will only push your teeth out the sides of the jaw, just like any bracket will do without surgical expansion. They are not magic... they will not expand your palate (upper jaw), no matter what the company wants you and your "doctor" to believe. If you can get an acceptable result by pushing the upper teeth out, then it can happen with ANY bracket.

BTW, there is a reason you can't find opals being used anywhere....

sorry... I had to join just to say that this misinformation is getting out of hand.

#9 Post by **user** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:05 pm

well my question was really about whether ceramic and damon can be mixed in one arch sucessfully..

#10 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:30 pm

Just to add my 20c (Australian) worth.....

I started out with an underbite, cross bite and lateral open bite.

I had two treatment options put to me, one that included surgery. As a borderline case, I chose the braces only option.

I've had good upper expansion with lingual braces and my top front teeth now sit nicely overlapping my bottom teeth. Linguals are more difficult for an ortho to work with, but just as effective at getting results.

The underbite and cross bite have pretty much disappeared and we're working on closing the lateral bite now, with good results so far.

Remember that it is the skill of the ortho, not the bracket system deployed, that will get you there in the end.

Also, for the same reason that I would never volunteer for drug trials, I would not offer myself up for something that has yet to be proven.

#11 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:41 pm

WHAHYN: To be honest I don't know why anyone would think this board is hyping damons! EVERYTIME someone comes on here saying they want them for this or another reason they get cold water thrown all over them. So NO this is not the case on this board. If anything it is quite the opposite!

User - here is someone with Opal and damons. Check it out:

viewtopic.php?t=3535

The answer to your question is that it can be done and I doubt very seriously that this is some amazing technical difficulty that your ortho is going to have to overcome.

As everyone says - a bracket is a bracket is a bracket so I have no idea why you can't mix the two. I mean afterall they do the same thing! Again have a nice talk with your ortho and ask him why he thinks he can do this without surgery if everyone is telling you you need it. The other thing to consider is that if surgery is out of the question for you - you really don't have any other option but to go with a treatment plan without it. You will have to find out what your outcome will be with and without surgery to make your final decision. Is a 5 mm overjet ok with you. ( I am just using this as an example as I know nothing about your case).

Good luck!

#12 Post by **wahnyc** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:45 pm

user wrote:well my question was really about whether ceramic and damon can be mixed in one arch sucessfully..

The answer is yes. Bends can be put into the wire if the prescriptions don't match.

#13 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:05 pm

wahnyc wrote:
user wrote:well my question was really about whether ceramic and damon can be mixed in one arch sucessfully..
The answer is yes. Bends can be put into the wire if the prescriptions don't match.

I have a combination of ceramic and metal brackets (including one "speed" bracket) on my lower arch and yesterday got a wire with a couple of bends in it. I can feel it working!

#14 Post by **wahnyc** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:15 pm

Meryaten, check your PM!

#15 Post by **jennielee81** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:57 pm

BTW, there is a reason you can't find opals being used anywhere....

sorry... I had to join just to say that this misinformation is getting out of hand.

Uh....how about ME! I've got Opals (mixed with Damons) and they're fine. I'm not the only one either. There are quite a few adults where I go and 2 assistants with Opals.

Oh, and there's nothing WRONG with Damons.....they're working here. I like the speed of wire changes and the fact that there are no ligatures to stain. My ortho makes them work well. That's what counts.