Fastbraces

[sirwired]

Self-ligating braces (Damon is just one of many brands) are smaller (and therefore are less noticable and possibly more comfortable), and may require fewer visits. They are not well-proven to be any faster in many studies not sponsored by Ormco (which makes them.)

If you will have to fly somewhere, I can see some merit in getting self-ligating braces, but no need to get fixated on Damons in particular.

[randomdude]

Hey guys new here :)

Would love to hear more about fastbraces as I'm not sure if they are dodgy or not? I seen a local dentist advertising them claiming a lot cheaper than normal braces which makes me a little suspicious. I have a crossbite and am wanting to get maxillary advancement surgery and need braces before hand are fastbraces suitable for this? I have mild crowning in my bottom and a slight gap between up two upper front teeth but other than that I'm pretty happy with my teeth and the main reason I'm getting braces is to get my teeth/jaw ready for surgery.

I guess I'm hoping there's a faint chance fastbraces could be adequate for the job? I think I'm still in shock only just recently learning how costly and lengthy the whole process is going to be! :(

[freysmiles]

Hey guys new here

Would love to hear more about fastbraces as I'm not sure if they are dodgy or not? I seen a local dentist advertising them claiming a lot cheaper than normal braces which makes me a little suspicious. I have a crossbite and am wanting to get maxillary advancement surgery and need braces before hand are fastbraces suitable for this? I have mild crowning in my bottom and a slight gap between up two upper front teeth but other than that I'm pretty happy with my teeth and the main reason I'm getting braces is to get my teeth/jaw ready for surgery.

I guess I'm hoping there's a faint chance fastbraces could be adequate for the job? I think I'm still in shock only just recently learning how costly and lengthy the whole process is going to be!

If you want braces, I'll sell you some. Just mail me a check for $400 and tell me where to send the package

What you are buying isn't braces, it is the end result, which coincidentally has nothing to do with the products being used and everything to do with the doctor using them. Orthodontists do not use FastBraces because it is a product marketed to general dentists to increase practice profits and they don't need it.

The bottom line is that your dentist doesn't provide orthodontic treatment for their own family, they send them to an orthodontist because they know better. Go see a qualified orthodontist (more than one would be even better) and get the opinion and guidance of someone who is trained to help you.

[randomdude]

[quote="freysmiles"][quote="randomdude"]Hey guys new here :)

Would love to hear more about fastbraces as I'm not sure if they are dodgy or not? I seen a local dentist advertising them claiming a lot cheaper than normal braces which makes me a little suspicious. I have a crossbite and am wanting to get maxillary advancement surgery and need braces before hand are fastbraces suitable for this? I have mild crowning in my bottom and a slight gap between up two upper front teeth but other than that I'm pretty happy with my teeth and the main reason I'm getting braces is to get my teeth/jaw ready for surgery.

I guess I'm hoping there's a faint chance fastbraces could be adequate for the job? I think I'm still in shock only just recently learning how costly and lengthy the whole process is going to be! :([/quote]

If you want braces, I'll sell you some. Just mail me a check for $400 and tell me where to send the package ;)

What you are buying isn't braces, it is the end result, which coincidentally has nothing to do with the products being used and everything to do with the doctor using them. Orthodontists do not use FastBraces because it is a product marketed to general dentists to increase practice profits and they don't need it.

The bottom line is that your dentist doesn't provide orthodontic treatment for their own family, they send them to an orthodontist because they know better. Go see a qualified orthodontist (more than one would be even better) and get the opinion and guidance of someone who is trained to help you.[/quote]

Thanks, I'm rather fed up with trying to deal with orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons where I Live (New Zealand) so I guess I was hopeful more than anything there was another way. It's hard getting other opinions when it costs $150-200 just for a consultation and having to wait 3-4 months (at least) for said consultation and that's just for an orthodontist the maxillofacial surgeons here have waiting lists for up-to a year. It's incredibly frustrating when I just want to look nice and normal like everyone else yet changing it is completely out of my control and the only people that can help are making me wait months on end just to get some answers it's doing my head in! :(

[sirwired]

If you look at my "sticky" at the top of this forum about avoiding quackery, you'll note that Fastbraces violate one of my "rules" about avoiding miraculous orthodontic treatments that actual orthodontists don't offer. Since orthodontists are paid on a flat rate, and patients have every incentive to ALSO be out of braces ASAP, there is zero reason why orthodontists wouldn't offer this (or any) treatment if it actually worked like the marketing said it did.

[FannieB]

Hello everyone,
I am really sorry, this is going to be lengthy, but I am in desperate need of help and I need someone to give me answers from a place of responsibility and objectivity.
So, I live in Greece and I am 22 years old. I have had crooked teeth my entire life and it has been causing me a lot of problems, mainly aesthetically but also the past couple of years I have experience severe TMJ pain to the point of taking painkillers almost every day. Some doctors have told me that because of the bad crossbite that I have the situation has even affected and damaged my joints.
When I started my orthodontic treatment four months ago, I tried to research as much as I could with the means that I had available that were mainly youtube videos and some articles online. Not the most scientific and credible sources, I know, but that was all I could do at the time. So the one thing that was really important to me after all that, was to not let anyone extract any teeth from me in order for my face not to change and for me to have a full wide smile. On the other hand, I have heard some doctors say that If you try to fit all of your teeth in your mouth when there’s not enough space, your roots of your teeth are going to move away from your bone and so the teeth and the gums around them are going to weaken, eventually leading to gum loss, periodontitis and finally toothloss.
Keeping all that in mind, when I chose an orthodontist I asked for them to try and fix my teeth with no extractions if possible. My doctor agreed saying that she is going to try and do that but she cannot guarrantee it is going to be possible 100%. Three months later, and after bringing my front teeth even further out in order to make room for the three crossbiting teeth to come out of the crossbite possition, she told me that she cannot do it without the extractions because the teeth are going to be extremely “out” and overbiting leading to the problems that I mentioned before. So the moment she prescribed me those extractions I got extremely freaked out and upset and I started searching for other doctors to get an opinion. That’s how I came across the fastbraces system here in Greece. I went there and they told me all those “wonderfull” things they market. The only downside, they said, is that there is going to be a very slight overbite (not the huge overbite that has currently been created due to the orthodontic work that has been done, but a less dramatic overbite) because the upper jaw is not the same size with the lower one so this is the only way we can do this without extractions.
As you can understand, hearing that you can be “done” with braces in less than 15 months instead of almost three years is quite tempting for a 22 year old. However, I am very concerned about the whole “gums recessing, teeth becoming loose” thing, which I dont know if this doctor has taken into consideration long term wise, given that he is not an ortho but a dentist. Now I am in a terrible dillema and I don’t know what to do and if I can trust him or not given that I cant afford to travel again and see another doctor and get another opinion, and besides, every doctor gives me a different opinion which has further more confused me.
I am really sorry for exhausting everyone with all of this personal stuff but I am quite desperate now and if any of you could give me some kind of advice on what to do I would honestly be very, very grateful.
Thank you very much,
Fannie Barampanis
mancavarraiul@gmail.com

[djspeece]

If you need extractions, you need extractions. It seems to me your ortho has explained your situation, and although it was not the news you wanted to hear, it was the news you needed to hear. Under no circumstance would I ever recommend someone consider fastbraces. It seems to me their marketing and advertising preys on fears and ignorance. Please re-read Dr. Frey's response above. Best of luck to you.

[bbsadmin]

I didn't want extractions either, but after many orthodontic consultations over the years (and...finally getting braces and my orthodontist trying to treat me without extractions) -- it turned out that extractions were necessary. Six months into my treatment, I got 4 second bicuspids extracted. It was the only way to straighten my teeth and fix my open bite without jaw surgery (and several orthodontists told me that jaw surgery, in my case, would be an extreme measure and that they didn't recommend it).

So...IMO, extractions aren't the end of the world -- it worked out OK for me. For some people, it really is the only reasonable alternative. Make sure that the orthodontist does a thorough study of your profile so that extractions won't flatten your face too much.

I agree with what Dr. Frey said. Fastbraces and those sort of things are usually marketed to general dentists as a way to add some orthodontic treatment to their practice with minimal training. If you find a dentist who has done a lot of successful Fastbraces cases, then maybe it would work out OK for you. But be very careful, because you don't want to unwittingly be a dentist's test patient! Ask LOTS of questions, including how many hours of training on Fastbraces he has had, and how many cases he has done.