Metal Mouth Message Board

Are these braces really any faster? I've heard claims for both sides, so I'd like to know the truth. I really do love the way the damon 3 brackets look. Also, are these braces better than going ceramic? If anyone could help out, that'd be great.

hi DiFan11!

well, alot of different opinions on this one: I myself have Damon 3's, got them on Jan 30th/2006, and I love them- the reason I went with these instead of ceramics was because my ortho talked me out of it- she said Damon's would take less time, less adjustments and would have less tension on the teeth, allowing them to move quicker and more naturally- so I went with them. Basically, what you need to do is research all options, be well aware of the pros and cons, then ask your ortho. Besides, as many point out: it's not the bracket which makes your teeth move, it's the skill of your othrodontist.

here's another othrodontist's pro and con comparison chart:
http://www.drrandolph.com/braces_comparison.htm

I would do some more research and check on here for pictures/progress- each person's teeth respond differently to braces, so with the knowledge you can aquire and the knowledge and experience your ortho has, you can get the best gain for the least time/profit hope that helps!

oh I forgot to mention, the High Tech ones they are refering to are the Damon system full metal brackets- the D3's are the ceramic top/metal brackets- I have High-Tech Damon's on my bottoms, and D3's on my top teeth, minus my impacted incisor and the back molars- check out my pictures/progress on my website, clikc on the WWW button or the link on my signature

I'd leave it to your ortho to decide what's best for your needs as well as what he/she feels the most comfortable working with.

Again, I would say best have an open mind and see what the orthodontist recommends. Thats what I did, my orthodontist uses all types of appliance but in my particular case, he felt he could get the best result from using Damon brackets so thats what I went with. If he'd said another type, I would have gone with that.

As someone who has experienced both - conventional braces as a teenager and now Damon 3s which I've had on for 10 months, I don't really think Damons are any better or worse in terms of speed. However I do have to go to ortho less often (every 8-10 weeks), they are small and neat looking (even though I don't find the conventional type offensive at all!) and I don't have to worry about ligs staining as I don't have any. I don't find them as speedy and comfortable as they're made out to be either - I still have the pain after adjustments like anyone else and in fact I wish they were moving faster!!

Hope this helps...
LoobyLou x

hey DiFan11

I have damon 3s and went through much the same thoughts you are now when trying to decide which route to take. Initially intended on getting the traditional metal braces, but when the ortho looked over my teeth, he suggested damon3s.

Some people seem to swear that they move your teeth faster, but whether or not they actually do is questionable. As the others have said, it mostly comes down to the skill of your ortho, and keeping your teeth healthy through the treatment. Then again, I've also heard from people that damon3s have allowed them to finish treatment 6 or even 12 months early.

Only two months and a couple weeks into my treatment so it's hard to say if there's any real difference in speed, from my experiance. But, they are very small, smooth (less irritation, I've used barely any wax), give you more time between adjustments, and are easier to adjust. It takes all of 2 minutes to switch out wires, if the assistant knows what he/she is doing.

I agree with Kim that research is important ... but never loose sight of the fact that when you're reasearching most of what you're reading is marketing promotional documents ... and therefore they will nearly all have the best, fastest, most comfortable bracket etc.

oh i definately agree! as for that site, that is only one orthodontist's opinion, and as KK mentions, could be bias for marketing products- that site was mainly the first comparison chart I came up to

the best thing to do I forgot to mention is not only research online, call and do consultations with several orthodontists, and find out their preferences and suggestions- some work only with self ligating brackets, some without- I think it's obvious from this forum that regardless of what braces you get in the end, if the orthodontist knows what he's doing- you'll have a fantastic new smile- regardless of the brackets chosen

this is what I did- I iunitially wanted invisiligns, then ceramics, then damons= after researching online [and as KK noted, try to find places where there is no amrketing bias- very hard i might say- i wish i hate my original links still for you!] jot down the pros and cons and take them with you to all of your consultations- and that shouold help make your decision a snap!

I have the high-tech braces. what i don't understand is, how are they faster if the adjustments are 8 weeks apart? I would think that for faster results, adjustments would be closer together.

I've got Damon's (see my avatar) and I love them. They are small, fairly comfortable, and I don't have to go in for adjustments as often. I've also had amazing results in just a short amount of time (8 months) but that may or may not be because of the Damon's!

I have the high-tech braces. what i don't understand is, how are they faster if the adjustments are 8 weeks apart? I would think that for faster results, adjustments would be closer together.

the usual answer is that since they do not use ligatures, they move the tooth more naturally, without tension or stress, so the adjustments aren't needed as often

I have Damons and love them. The idea that I am not in the orthos office every month is wonderful. And I really do believe that they help your teeth move faster. My original treatment time was 20 months but it has now changed to 16 months!! Plus you have to think that maybe without the tension of the ligs on your teeth that maybe they are better (healthier) for your teeth (just my opinion). My daughter will be getting Damons in a couple of months and she's only 8. The ortho said she would have them for a year but than said it will probably be less time than that. Other orthos who we saw said traditional braces for 18 months with a palate expander. With the damons she will not have to have a palate expander! Again this is my experience with Damons and what we are looking at for our daughter. Everyone is different and it really does depend on the ortho's experience with them as to how your results are.

Amy
Damon 2's top and bottom
braced 12-16-04