Damon Q vs Damon clear

[annievan]

Hi everyone,
I'm new in this forum. My 12 years old daughter will get Damon braces next week. We have to choose between the Q and the clear one (on upper 6 & the rest will be the Q) . I have some questions:
1-Is the clear more protruding than the Q? I know that it's footprint is bigger than the Q, but how about the height?
2-Is the clear more comfortable because it's material & shape?

The orthodontist said they are the same, but the Q seems flatter to me. Maybe, it's just the illusion from the material.

Thank you for helping us choosing the right one for my daughter.


Annie

[TMJJill]

I have the Damon clears on my front 10 and metal for the rest. The clear are a bit bigger. I really haven't noticed much in the way of different levels of discomfort between the two though. If she is going to need elastics on the front teeth, I'd recommend the Q's though. They can put nice hooks on the metal ones, but not the clear ones. I had to have wire ties for my elastics on those clear brackets and I'm not a fan of the ties vs. the hooks. Otherwise, I'd say it is mostly preference based on the aesthetics of having the clear brackets.
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Overall, I've been very happy with my Damons.

[annievan]

Thank TMJJill for the reply. I totally agree with you about the wire ties on the clear bracket.
She is going to need elastics (I think on the canine). We have to consider that.

[TMJJill]

I forgot to mention that my canines were the only clear brackets that came with hooks. It was just last month that I started needing elastics for the other brackets and had to get the ties.

[annievan]

She'll have elastic from the upper canine to the lower molaire. So we can go with the clear. Right? She likes the look of the clear. Hopefully, it doesn't make her lips stick out so much because she has an overbite.

[TMJJill]

I've worn elastics on my clears from my upper molars to back lower molars since a couple weeks into my treatment. No problems.

I don't find that the clears make my lips stick out any more than the metal ones. They have worked very well for me.

I wish your daughter well.

[annievan]

Thanks TMJJill for your support. We're ready now.
I've read your other post about getting sick with your elastic & I realize that there are a lot of unexpected things during treatment.
Are you OK now?

[TMJJill]

Glad to hear you are ready.

I'm much better now. Thank you for asking.

[zdenka]

I hated the clear brackets at first. I felt like they were too big but I got used to them within a month. The only think I don't like about the clear ones is that they do make my teeth look a little yellow. At least with the metal ones everyone knows you have braces, the clear ones just look different. If I were to do this all over I would probably go with all metals since I had to pay an extra $400 to have the clear tops. But they don't bother me enough to have them replaced either.

BUT I am an adult, your daughter probably has tons of friends with braces and the change will be easier for her.

Good luck with whatever decission you make It will be worth it in the end.

[Kipepeo]

I agree with Zdenka. I have clears on top, and really the only benefit over metals is that they don't show up very well in photos. I would select metals if I had it to do over.

My clears have a different feeling to them, almost like they're drier or rougher or something. However, I've had the clears on for just 4 months and the metals for 17 months and I may be just more used to them.

[annievan]

That's what I'm afraid of: bigger, rougher and drier... I hope we make a right decision. My dentist (not the Ortho) also warned me about opened doors. While cleaning teeth for patients, especially kids, she always has to "shut the doors" for them.

We don't have to pay extra to get the clear. The Damon costs $400 more than the traditional though.

[Kipepeo]

Open/shut doors? They really only come open if they weren't fully closed in the first place. I honestly don't think the clears are all that different. They're very subtle differences. I say I wish I'd gotten all metal, but the apparent differences could also be the difference between the upper and lower lips.

The choice should be made on whether you want metal or clear brackets on your most visible teeth...not by which ones are smaller or might feel different.

Braces are a major inconvenience no matter what material they're made of.

[Patmos330]

I opted out of the clears because my ortho said they're more prone to breaking. The way I see it, braces are braces no matter the colors, and if the metal are more reliable and make the ortho's job easier, I'll go with them.