Metal Mouth Message Board

I just got my braces put on March 28th. I got all metal Damons because I didn't want to (and couldn't afford to) pay the extra $950 cost. Now I'm really debating if I can tolerate a metal looking mouth for the next 25 months. Has anyone ever switched from metal to clear? Is this a stupid idea? One of my best friends is getting married next year and the ortho gave me an option of getting my braces off for her wedding, but it costs me $450. So I figured I might as well pay the additional $500 and get the clear and not have them taken off at all. I just don't want to be a brace face for wedding photos... ugh I don't know what to do.

I can't share about doing as switch as I started with the Damon clear. What I do find interesting is that it was only an additional $300 for me to go with clear originally. It really is crazy how the pricing differs so much.

The Damon Clears are a bit larget than your metal ones. They have been comfortable for me though. I guess it really is up to you. After a while most people really just don't pay attention either way.

I started with full metal Damon brackets. After a couple of months, I decided to change just the top ones to clear Radiance (not Damon) brackets. I kept the bottom metal ones because most times they don't show when I smile. For me, it was well worth the price. I was just too self-conscious with the full metal going on, so rather than stress about it for 2+ years, I decided to go for it. I have never regretted it one bit. Yes, the ligatures get stained and need to be changed, but I still love them. They're almost invisible in pictures (except for the wire, of course).

Damon's are already pretty small. In all honesty, I don't think it'll be a big deal to keep the metals, especially if you are using a metal-colored archwire.

The ceramics are larger, even if they are sorta tooth-colored instead of metal.

I have clear on top (not the super duper clear ones, mine are 3m clarity and still have metal clips) So personally I don't think they are that much more invisible them my metal bottoms because I have had elastics for 10 months and also a powerchain across the top usually in silver or gray. This was all my ortho provided so I didn't have a choice but sometimes I wish I had the super clear ones no one sees it might have helped with my being self conscious because everybody still notices my "clear" brackets.

It took me 5 months to stop caring as much and now at 474 days I have mostly stopped caring......mostly, though I must admit I'm a bit depressed being braced and miss my white smile

Do what you have to do, I would think the $$ would be worth it for the really clear brackets as long as you don't care watching what you eat so they don't stain.

Good luck, it does get better.

Hi Ashenk224

I think Damon Clear brackets are actually only clear on upper front 6-10 teeth but metal on upper molars and all bottoms. So you would have to go for a different type of bracket to be fully clear.

All braces are visible to some extent and, as many people have said, it is very much a personal choice as to whether you go with all metal or something slightly less visible. As a middle-aged man in a professional job, I was very self conscious about having a brace again even though it is just on my top teeth. Having Damon clears with a white wire has made me feel a lot easier about it.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Jem

sirwired wrote:The ceramics are larger, even if they are sorta tooth-colored instead of metal.

i am often puzzled by this because my ortho told me my tooth coloured "radiance" braces are the same size as metal. they don't look any bigger to me to be honest so i have always blvd him.

Thank you for all your responses! I think I might try to just get used to the metal for a bit longer and if it continues to drive me crazy then I'll switch. My ortho didn't even give me a full ceramic option. They just showed me the Damon Q and the Damon Clear (only on the social 6). Currently for work the metal isn't so bad, but my braces are scheduled to come off two weeks after I graduate nursing school and if I keep the metal I would hope I can get them off a few weeks early so I can graduate braces free :)

My ortho's office had 2 assistants with damons on, one had all metal and the other had clear on top. I thought the clear were really not that noticeable and would look fine in pictures so that helped me with the decision to get clear. It is weird how much difference the prices are everywhere, they quoted me only $300 more for damon clear on top.

I would find a way to get the clear if its going to bother you that bad...I went with the damon clear but I got clear brackets all the way around on the top except for my back molar...I didn't have to pay any extra (although, my gf is a DA) and even if I had to pay, I would DEF go wth the clear....honestly, from a certain distance, you can't even tell I have braces when I smile.

$950 for clear brackets... Good Lord, my ortho offered them to me for free (priced the same as the metal counterparts). He did note that the clears are larger and take longer to move teeth, so I opted for the metal ones.

However, if having the metal braces bothered me that bad, I would have probably paid extra for the clears. If you can afford it, go for it. For me, my satisfaction is a top priority and I am willing to pay extra - within the reasonable limits of course

If the price doesnt bother you, I say go for it. You have to wear them for 2 years so you should be as comfortable as you can.

I hope I am not making a big mistake. I have asked my ortho to be prepared to put the Damon clears on, in June. I have had metal Damons on my bottom teeth since January 2012. I really don't want the brackets to look "bright white" against my teeth, which are not all that white right now. I just want them to be less noticable. I'm going to be looking for work and don't want to look silly.

Once my teeth are debraced and straight and look AWESOME, I am going to have them whitened, to reward them for their good behavior!

I want the teeth to move as fast as possible. I will ask if the "clears" will cause much of a delay. I hope not. The ortho delayed bracing my top arch until he was sure, really sure, that my bottom teeth were moving. It took 5 months for him to get to that decision! I guess if they hadn't been moving, he would have debraced me and we would have argued about the fees and been done. But now, he's going to brace up the tops. Hoorah!

I hope I am not making a mistake getting the clears. Or however clear they are. You say I can get a white wire in there instead of metal? That would be nice, too.

Any advice or caveats, I will gladly hear them out. Speak now or....

Real

Did you end up switching to the Clears?

Hey Johnie:

Yes, I got the Damon Clears. They are VERY nice. I've never had braces before so I don't know if they are bigger or smaller in size. The orthodontist assured me they will be the SAME as to treatment, so I went ahead and got them, and they have been on for 10 days now. I am really happy with them.

New to braces, I have been trying to figure out what to eat and how to clean them. I'm doing pretty good.

The past few days I have been with some people I didn't know. Perhaps intimidating, but not ONE person said anything about my Damon Clears. I'm pretty sure they noticed, but only at close distance.

Real.