Metal Mouth Message Board

After lots of research, I'm finally planning on getting clear GAC In-Ovations put on me in January. Has anyone else had any experience with these, positive or negative? They are self-ligating like the Damon-3, but are clear on the top/bottoms except for metal on the 2 back molar teeth that don't show much. I think they are something relatively new--last month they only offered the front 6 in the clear brackets, now it's the front 10. I am wondering about whether their strength is equivalent to the regular metal, or if there could be possible bonding issues, but my ortho says they have had no problems with them, and said he much prefers it to mixing ceramic clear with the other metal self-ligating. He felt the ceramics slowed things down vs. all self-ligating.

Comments anyone? I was on this wonderful site a few months back and learned a lot from it, and have been procrastinating till I learned that these clear self-ligating ones had come out. Now I think I'm finally ready to make the plunge...

Hi Lee --

I have GAC Neo-Clips and I'm rather wishing I had gone for the smaller metal brackets for comfort's sake. I have 10 ceramic upper and 6 ceramic lower with 4 metal on my premolars and bands around the front molars. The clips add bulk and I'm going to ask if I can have ligatures at my Dec. 4 adjustment. I knocked off 2 brackets the first day but they were on my front 2 veneers and they used the wrong etchant. None have come off since those were replaced. 10 days and counting ...

Elle

Meryaten:
Why ligs and not clips on the clear brackets? I got the same set-up and am curious. I'll admit when I started I wanted to hide my braces. Now, I want to show some color.

As to the original question. my metal lowers are smaller but have sharper edges than my tops. The tops als have built in hooks that seem easier on my gums than the hooks on my lowers.

mike

I have GAC Mystique clear with NeoClips on my upper teeth and have been very happy with them. At my consultation my ortho said that they could add a month or two to my total treatment time. I like the look of the clips and if they do stick out more its only a little bit. My lowers will be put on in four or five months and will be metal. I have an upper lateral that needs to come forward and have had two brackets pop off that tooth so he put a metal band on it until it moves forward. I have been very happy with my choice so far and if I had it to do over the only thing I would change would be to have not waited so long to get braces. So far no one has noticed that I even have braces--or if they have they haven't said anything to me.

Thanks for all the interesting replies. I don't know if NeoClips are the same thing as these new clear ones--I haven't heard that term used by anyone here. I know these new clear ones are not the usual ceramic clear type (Ice, Mystique, etc.), and no elastics are needed, but am not sure what they are actually made of. They didn't seem to be worried about using them on the bottom as well as tops, but I'm no young sporty type likely to get banged in the mouth either, so maybe they just thought I was low risk in that department. I asked if they were a bit bigger profile than regular types (most self-ligating are slightly larger), and they said yes, a bit, but you get used to it and then don't notice. So I guess I'll take my chances. I do like the ortho, and he's the closest one to my house, so all things considered, I think I'll be fine with him and the clear self-ligating In-Ovations. If they are a problem, I'll be sure to post here to warn others away from them!

I have the new gac inovation-c clear brackets with a small metal clip. So far, so good.