Comparing Braces, NEED Help from REAL people!

[LSinclair]

Hello everyone!
I am in need of some help. I have been doing some research on braces. I intend on getting braces by the end of February. The three brand/types I have been researching are the Inspire Ice, Damon Clear, and Clarity SL. I have already had a consult for the Inspire Ice and I was leaning toward that brand but I haven't been able to find pictures of real people ( not models or photo shopped pics) wearing them. The ortho office did tell me that when the ligs stain that I can come by and have them changed between visits if I want to. I am fully aware that the brackets are not the ones that stain but the ligs are the ones that stain. I already know what not to eat to keep the staining to a minimum Knowing this, I will be going to my daughter's ortho for a consultation since he offers the Damon Clear braces. The only thing about the Damon clear that concerns me is that only the top front are somewhat clear and the rest are metal, but no ligs. I am not sure I want to go that route. I really do not care about my side teeth having metal brackets but I really do want my top and bottom teeth as clear as possible. I wish the Inspire Ice was self-ligating. I also have a consultation for the Clarity SL tomorrow to see what they are talking about. I would really like to hear from anyone that has had experience with any of the three brands. I would also like to see pictures especially of the Inspire Ice and the Clarity SL. Any help will be appreciated!

[chichi]

Hello everyone!
I am in need of some help. I have been doing some research on braces. I intend on getting braces by the end of February. The three brand/types I have been researching are the Inspire Ice, Damon Clear, and Clarity SL. I have already had a consult for the Inspire Ice and I was leaning toward that brand but I haven't been able to find pictures of real people ( not models or photo shopped pics) wearing them. The ortho office did tell me that when the ligs stain that I can come by and have them changed between visits if I want to. I am fully aware that the brackets are not the ones that stain but the ligs are the ones that stain. I already know what not to eat to keep the staining to a minimum Knowing this, I will be going to my daughter's ortho for a consultation since he offers the Damon Clear braces. The only thing about the Damon clear that concerns me is that only the top front are somewhat clear and the rest are metal, but no ligs. I am not sure I want to go that route. I really do not care about my side teeth having metal brackets but I really do want my top and bottom teeth as clear as possible. I wish the Inspire Ice was self-ligating. I also have a consultation for the Clarity SL tomorrow to see what they are talking about. I would really like to hear from anyone that has had experience with any of the three brands. I would also like to see pictures especially of the Inspire Ice and the Clarity SL. Any help will be appreciated!

I have clear Damons on top and they're all clear (front 10 teeth) except the molars, which have metal buccal tubes (and, really, who's looking at your last 2 teeth all the way back there?). I could have gotten bottom clear too (I believe the bottoms would have only been front 8 teeth clear), but it wasn't worth the extra cost for me as you don't usually see my bottoms anyway.

Once you reach your required number of posts, you can check out my story (in my signature), where I have photos of my teeth with the clear Damons.

[LSinclair]

Thank You ChiChi!

I appreciate the information you shared with me. How is your experience with the staining of the clear brackets? Is it really true about the brackets not staining? I heard that the adhesive on the Damon's stain. I eat a lot of pasta, pizza and other foods with red sauce throughout the week. I also work at the airport and it will be hard for me to brush my teeth after I eat at work. Plus I have a thing about using public restrooms so brushing my teeth in the restroom at an airport will not be happening often.

[chichi]

Thank You ChiChi!

I appreciate the information you shared with me. How is your experience with the staining of the clear brackets? Is it really true about the brackets not staining? I heard that the adhesive on the Damon's stain. I eat a lot of pasta, pizza and other foods with red sauce throughout the week. I also work at the airport and it will be hard for me to brush my teeth after I eat at work. Plus I have a thing about using public restrooms so brushing my teeth in the restroom at an airport will not be happening often.

The brackets don't stain. I have also heard that the glue can stain, but I have not experienced this as far as I can tell, and I love my red sauce, pizza, black tea, BBQ sauce, balsamic vinegar, and pretty much anything else that would stain. As far as brushing, I'm not going to lie - I usually just brush once in the morning and once at night. Throughout the day, I always have floss, teepee brushes, and water with me to do some vigorous swishing, but I have not brushed at work even once. My ortho and regular dentist have both complimented me on how clean I keep my teeth, so I guess it's working.

[LSinclair]

Thank you again Chichi! You are making me feel better already.

[chichi]

Thank you again Chichi! You are making me feel better already.

No problem! I am very happy with my Damons and would absolutely recommend them, although I have nothing to compare them to. I'm 6.5 months into treatment and I've only had 3 adjustments (plus an appointment for a hook that broke... whoops ) I've gotten new wires and/or elastics at every appointment - I like the feeling that every adjustment is productive and I'm not going in every month just for lig changes. The only problem is that they get boring very quickly

[LSinclair]

I know when I begin my treatment I will look forward to every appointment because I would want to hear the progress my teeth have made. I was the same way when I was pregnant, I couldn't wait to see my OB so I can get an update on my daughter's growth. I am so excited about getting braces and I can't wait to see the progress you are making!

[LSinclair]

Today I had a second consult. This Orthodontist, wanted $6500 for top and bottom braces. Add an extra $300 per arch for Clarity braces and $250 for x-rays. When I had asked for the Clarity SL (self ligating), I was told that I wouldn't be getting them. But those were the ones I was interested in. Total time will be 24 months. The first consult wanted $6000 for Inspire Ice braces (full mouth), total time 18-24 months. This office was really nice and assured me that if I was concerned about my ligs staining that I can come by the office at anytime for them to be changed. I have another consult tomorrow for the Damon Clear braces. I was initially wanting the Inspire Ice braces but now curious about the Damon Clear and how they are self ligating. I wish I knew of and office here that offered both. That way if I picked one and wasn't happy I could switch to the other while at the same office or I could somehow combine the two brands.

[TMJJill]

I just recently completed my treatment with Damons. I had clears on my top front 10. I had metal on the bottom, but didn't have a choice at the time since that was all that was available. They have since offered lowers in clear as an option. The clear brackets were plenty strong and held up to all of the strong elastics too. I had 20 hooks that I used.

I really liked the Damons and the results I had. There was absolutely no staining, of my brackets or teeth. I had some nice arch development and a lot of work done with my bite.

I think one of the things you should really consider when making a decision is the training of the Orthodontist, their experience, and your confidence in them. Please make sure you talk to your Orthodontist about making sure they are really treating your bite and not just focusing on straightening your teeth. I've seen a lot of stories out there from people who had their teeth straightened when they were younger only to have bite issues develop after they got the braces off.

[chichi]

I think one of the things you should really consider when making a decision is the training of the Orthodontist, their experience, and your confidence in them. Please make sure you talk to your Orthodontist about making sure they are really treating your bite and not just focusing on straightening your teeth. I've seen a lot of stories out there from people who had their teeth straightened when they were younger only to have bite issues develop after they got the braces off.

This.

Once you've met all the orthos you're planning on meeting, you can determine whether you prefer one over the others. Damons are great, but I would pick a good ortho that uses traditional brackets over a less competent ortho using Damons.

[LSinclair]

The consult I am having today is with my daughter's ortho. I really liked how he took care of my daughter and all of our concerns. He even called me after hours to check on her during the early part of her treatment. She had her braces removed on December 19, 2013 and now she is getting use to her retainer. He offers Damon and the Damon Clear braces, so if I decide to go with the Damon Clear then I will most likely be visiting his office. I am still torn between the Damon Clear and the Inspire Ice. I would feel better if I could find an ortho that offers both so that in the event I would want to change my mind I could just change the braces and not the ortho. Which ever ortho I choose will be because I am comfortable with him or her.

Thank you everyone who have responded!

[mapleleafman888]

Hey LSinclair, I may be a bit behind to chime in on this post but I thought I'd drop a message anyways.

I too can vouch for what the others are saying. Damon braces are great, so far 4+ months in I've not had any staining of the brackets---I eat lots of tomato based foods and hot sauces which should stain but they don't. I'm noticing the glue does stain a little bit but once per week I use whitening toothpaste just to keep everything clear and sparkling.

Oh and get this, (yes this might sound crazy haha!) as a test I colored with a permanent marker on one of my clear upper side brackets, and that came off too!!

The brackets are quite discreet, I've had quite a few photos since having braces and it's hard to even tell anything is on my teeth. At most the brackets just look like light reflections to an unsuspecting eye.

If you want to see lots of photos of the damon clears check my story in my signature as well.

Good luck.

[chichi]

I'm noticing the glue does stain a little bit but once per week I use whitening toothpaste just to keep everything clear and sparkling.

I guess I should mention that I sometimes use whitening toothpaste too. Maybe that's what's keeping the glue from staining.

Oh and get this, (yes this might sound crazy haha!) as a test I colored with a permanent marker on one of my clear upper side brackets, and that came off too!!

...what?! That's actually pretty funny lol

If you want to see lots of photos of the damon clears check my story in my signature as well.

LSinclair, he's one of those people whose teeth are just too perfectly white... don't trust him

[jem]

Hi LSinclair,

i wouldn't worry too much about the brand of braces you have. These are just the tools the orthodontist uses. The important thing is the skill of the orthodontist. You need to be sure to have a properly qualified orthodontist who you trust and get on with. It sounds as if you are happy with your daughter's ortho, so I would suggest you go with him/her. For what it is worth, I had Damon clear and I found they were fine and had no problems with them staining.

Good luck

Jem

[ljms]

I'm really happy with my Damon braces. My progress has been great and I haven't noticed any staining on my clear braces. Although, I haven't gone to the lengths Leaf has gone to test it. (You're crazy! LOL! )

However, I agree with what others have said about your Ortho being the most important factor. You have to get along with and trust him or her. Make sure your choice a proven record of good results. Talk to former patients and check them out on rate my doctor sites. The person who is treating you is much more important than the system they're using.