Size of metal bracket vs ceramic - did it affect your choice

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#16 Post by **beth1966** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:53 am

Sorry I misunderstood the ortho - they do xrays the day the braces go on, but no molds or spacers. No bands on back teeth so no need for spacers in my case.

While choosing the right ortho for various reasons and trusting what they use is excellent in theory - I could potentially find a few different orthos i like that have similiar treatment plans, personalities and office staff perks - - but all use different types of brackets. There are so many different brackets out there i have yet to meet an ortho who uses the same.

I will say i've met only ONE who uses suresmile - and i won't go on and on about what i think of THAT system. Suffice it to say he charges thousands more then all other orthos i met with - WELL over 10% more, more like 50-60% more! LOL. AND he gave no quicker a treatment time either - it was crazy.

Anyway the ortho I like uses BOTH metal or ceramic, it is my choice, hence the reason why I pose this question. And yes the ceramic are no doubt bigger/bulkier both in size and profile. The ortho says NO DOUBT I will feel a difference in them and around my lips - she will only put on top, she will not put ceramic on anyone's bottom - she said that is so upper teeth dont chip on lower ceramic bracket. And even if she could she said i would really have a mouth full if she did that.

Her metal brackets are tiny - i saw them. It is the same price for either- but she highly recommends the metal for me, she feels they will look smaller and cleaner and will me much comfier for me. She also said they MIGHT reduce treatment time.

#17 Post by **Candy** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:10 pm

Hi---I have metal on bottom and porcelin on top...my metal ones are smaller that the ones on top. I can't close my mouth all the way down, but it doesn't look so bad. Forget smiling with your mouth closed! Horrific looking. LOL....I have to smile big now--which is hard to get used to after all these years of closed smiles! My uppers have caused me one heck of an ulcer on week 2 and I am now battling another in week 4. My metal ones have yet to bother me, you can't see them when I talk or smile so I don't mind having them. I do think the uppers look better though, even though they are a little bulkier. They look better in photo's...you can see them close up no matter what.
Good look every one....1 month down here, and hopefully only 17 more to go!

#18 Post by **beth1966** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:26 pm

Thanks very much Candy! Have you posted photos on here?

#19 Post by **browneyedgrl** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:15 pm

Hi Beth,

I remember at my consult, that the new patient coordinator asked me if I needed braces, what would I want. I automatically gravitated to the model with the ceramic uppers and metal lowers. I had metal uppers in 81-82, so I'd been there done that, and since I worked in sales and meet with customers all day long, I wanted to be as discrete as possible.

Price wasn't an issue, my ortho only offers ceramics on the uppers only and doesn't charge extra for them. I always had an issue in regards to staining. I've had wire ties from day one and have been wearing clear powerchains on top and have been going in to have them changed inbetween my regular appointments.

Where are you in the decison making process, are you ready to start treatment? I also had all pics and xrays done at my banding appointment. It was so nice not having to do molds or having spacers.

B

#20 Post by **beth1966** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:59 am

Hi - treatment is on hold right now due to a family emergency I am going thru. That said - I am leaning towards the tinier and less bulky metal top and bottom. I just feel all ceramics no matter the manufacturer look way too bulky. I also feel that it will look like i have something on my teeth - atleast with metal it is obvious what it is. i dont want to deal with stained ligs, i know wire ligs are an option but i agree with my ortho that the metals look 'cleaner' - and i have a smaller mouth and upper lip, so the small metal brackets make more sense for me. I am very very visible in the corporate world too and speak to people all the time - but either way braces are braces, i notice them either way on others -

Keep u posted - it will be a while until i go ahead with this.

#21 Post by **Candy** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:47 am

Hi Beth, I do not have pics on here yet as I gravitated to the Bracesreview.com forum after the message board here was locked. I am candymomof3 there, and I just posted new pics last night, of my 1 month mark...already some changes...so it keeps me positive!! : )

#22 Post by **beth1966** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:16 am

Hi Candy!

You posted new pics on Bracesreview last night? Under what thread? I cant' seem to find them.

#23 Post by **Candy** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:19 am

they are on the blog section, under candymomof3

#24 Post by **bedtimebear77** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:12 am

I just had Inspire ice put on last wednesday and I love them (clarity wise). I just hate the pain and the cleaning. I was able to get the inspire ice on both top and bottom. My ortho specially ordered these for me. I do have 4 metal on the bottom (2 each side) only because the rep did not send them in the order so Dr. Hunsaker will order those four and replace them with the inspire ice on my next visit. I had to have cement put on my two bottom mollers so that I don't bite down on the bottom brackets.

I was debating between the In-Ovation C (self-ligating) and the Inspire Ice. I ended up choosing the inspire ice because I wanted the clearest bracket (don't qualify for invisalign) and I can go in whenever I want and have my bands changed once I get them. I don't have the bands on right now, instead they put tooth colored wire on to hold the wire in place. I will eventually have to use the bands.

I have seen several people with other clear brackets and they are nothing like the inspire ice. The week before having them put on I had my teeth zoom whitened. I'm lucky if I got one shade lighter, maybe a half shade. Definately not worth it. I hear crest pro white strips work much better. It may be a good thing though cause my otho said you don't want your teeth to get too white cause when you have the braces taken off you will have white spots. The rest of your test will stain slightly over the ~18 months of the braces being on just from regular eating. Good point!

I was going to post some pics but I have't figured out how to do it yet.