why do some people still get braces with ligs?

[felicia]

I don't want to question anybody's choices or preferences...but I just wonder why do people still get braces with ligs?
I have Clarity Self Ligating braces. My appointments are short because there are no ligs to be changed, they just pop my wire out of the bracket with a tool and they snap it back in. I don't have to worry about staining the ligs.
Appointments are farther apart to each other because there are no ligs to be changed.
At my last appointment my orthodontist told me that he is very pleased and surprised on how nice and fast this kind of braces (SL) are working.
Just reading posts on this forum, I noticed that people who have ligs, generally have more problems than the ones without ligs.
My question to the people who got braced, let's say within the last 6 months, with traditional braces (with ligs), is: WHERE YOU GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL BRACES AND THE SELF LIGATING BRACES, AND YOU CHOSE TRADITIONAL? OR WAS TRADITIONAL BRACES YOUR ONLY OPTION AT THE OFFICE YOU CHOSE?
P.S. I hope nobody gets me wrong...I am just curious.

[BracketRacket]

Appointments are farther apart to each other because there are no ligs to be changed.

I would wonder how true this is -- I am under the impression that unless you specifically go in and ask for your ligs to be changed (bad staining, etc), that no appointment would be set just to change ligs -- instead, they will check progress, change wires (or not depending on progress/plan) and make other adjustments at the scheduled appointments -- essentially the same thing they would be doing with SL braces, too. Am I incorrect -- at times, do ligs just need to be changed (do they lose hold or something)?

[Steph in Sac]

Are those only on metal braces? The option wasn't mentioned to me, but I went in with a specific request for clear, so maybe that's why...

[drrick]

There are problems with self ligating bracket too -- doors breaking, popping open (there have been many here on the boards asking what to do when a door pops open) also I found it more difficult to do final case finishing with self ligating brackets (I used then for 5 or 6 years) There are pros and cons with both types.

[TumbleDryLow]

I was not offered the option of self-ligating as my ortho only uses traditional bracket systems which require ligs. Even with traditional brackets my appointments were pretty far apart--8 to 9 weeks. I've had very few issues relating specifically to having ligatures. The problems I have had (brackets popping off for example) can happen with any bracket.

Not all dentists use self-ligating brackets because, as Dr Rick said, there are pros and cons with any bracket. The orthodontist needs to use what he/she likes and what works well for them. It's not always self-ligating that fits that bill. And anyway, you should choose your ortho based on the treatment plan not on the bracket they use. A good orthodontist can give you great results with any system.

[Vieve25]

I was not offered the choice of self ligating - my ortho uses ligs. I did ask if they offer them and they do not. It is just what he prefers.

[jeh]

Looks like the marketing people nailed another one

[beth1966]

Due to having to move to a new area - I have met with 11 orthos over the last years before being able to get braced in the area I currently live. 50% of those orthos I met with offered traditional braces with ligatures and the other 50% offered self ligating. I don't think one method (traditional vs. self ligating) is used more then the other - seems to be what the ortho prefers and has had most success with.

[felicia]

Yes, like Drrick said, there are problems with self ligating braces also, the doors breaking, popping open...but my brackets DO NOT have any doors...so...I never had any problems.
(my brackets have some kind of clip)
It's true, I did not get to the final phase yet to know if there will be any problems finishing, but I have a feeling that everything will be fine.
JEH, my opinion is not based on what marketing people did or said, it's based simply on my experience with self ligating braces, and it's based on what I've read on this forum for over 8 months.

[tsmurfenator]

Ultimately everybody has a choice to go with self-litigating or not, because you choose your dentist. I personally love the look of traditional brackets, and like to be able to customize the colors. When I did look into getting braces several years before (around 6-7 years ago), the dentist did offer SL brackets, but my current one does not.

I have never even SEEN self-litigating brackets in person (and also I almost never see ceramic braces), and I meet a lot of people with braces. My personal experience is that the overwhelming vast majority of worldwide ortho industry is based on traditional brackets (metallic).

You could spin the question another way: why would anybody get brackets/wires when you can get Insvialign?

[drrick]

Here is another way to spin it...Why get braces on the front of the teeth when you can get lingual braces behind the teeth?

[beth1966]

"You could spin the question another way: why would anybody get brackets/wires when you can get Insvialign?"

In my case, I was told that Invisalign could not effectively correct the issues with my crossbite openbite etc. I did have one ortho suggest Invisalign and but he said once I was done - I'd need traditional braces as well. All other orthos said no to Invisalign - I know we could suppose that they were not experienced enough with Invisalign, and maybe there is an ortho out there who could successfully treat me with Invisalign. But personally I chose to go with what the Ortho is most comfortable using to ensure success.

From all I've learned/read traditional vs. self ligating - one isn't better then the other. The archwire moves the teeth not the bracket. Bottom line it's based on the skills and expertise of your ortho. Not one being 'better' then the other. Pros and cons in all brackets - just like in all things.

[UGHBRACES]

Here is another way to spin it...Why get braces on the front of the teeth when you can get lingual braces behind the teeth?

I would say cost, speech problems and the brackets shredding the tongue. My molar bands love to hook into my tongue, and i only have 4 of those and they barely stick out - a bracket would stick out much further and would be on every tooth. I can just imagine all the times while chewing that my tongue would get pinched in between the upper and lower brackets as i bite down. I also believe cleaning would be much more difficult as well.

[drrick]

The tongue doesnt get anymore shredded than your lips and cheeks do from outside braces

Speech only a factor initially

Cost I agree

but they look so much better and many will trade cost for invisible.

There are pros and cons for everything

You see how fruitless these conversations are as it all involves what each individual pt wants as well as what the individual dr feels most comfortable treating his or her pts with to get the desired result.

[rolo]

Having lingual uppers and lower ceramics, I would go with linguals on comfort every time. Speech no different on either kind. Cleaning is not a problem with linguals, and I'm told the insides of the teeth are more resistant to calcification, but replacing crown that broke did seem to cause my ortho a lot of stress, but I believe this is a very rare problem, and thankfully now sorted.

However Dr Rick and my current ortho are the only orthos I have found to feel this way about linguals, and I've consulted more than a few! So yes, cost and lack of forward enough thinking orthos to offer patients the choice of this service!