Metal Mouth Message Board

What are the supposed benefits of these? And are MOST adults candidates for them? I know the ortho I will be consulting with offers them. I already know I am NOT a candidate for invisalign. Linguals do not appeal to me - and I want them as inconspicuous as possible. I will consider clear braces - I know braces have a come a long way since the heavy metal bands I wore as a kid. Thank goodness!

Hi Beth,

When I think of self-ligating brackets, I think of brackets that don't require ligatures around the brackets to hold the archwire in place. There are lots of members who are better able to explain the difference between self-ligating and traditional brackets. They will chime in shortly.

If I'm not mistaken, you can get ceramic or "clear" brackets in both self-ligating and traditional bracket systems.

Regardless of what anyone tells you, it's best to go with whatever system your orthodontic recommends for you and your unique situation.

Hi beth! I have self-ligating brackets on both top and bottom. My understanding, and I may not be totally correct, is that you can go longer between adjustments with self-ligating brackets. They open and shut like a window to hold the archwire in place. Personally, I'm glad not to have the ligatures, but everyone is different.

As far as other information/benefits of self-ligating I'm not really sure. I'd love to see comments from those who have been braced longer than I have.

Thanks for the info! I know that the ortho I have a consult with this week uses self litigating. So I am sure he will discuss it further with me.

Funshine - is that your smile in your profile? If so - your braces look GREAT! Are they clear ceramic? I want ones like that!!!

Do they stain at all? I like coffee - drink about 2 cups a day. Wonder if that is a problem with them.

Thanks, beth! Yep - that's my grill. I have clear ceramic on the front 6 teeth and then metal on all others. I haven't had any problems with staining. I was really worried about that, but my ortho told me that the brackets themselves rarely stain. Staining occurs more on the clear ligatures, but since I have the self-ligating I don't have ligatures. I drink a couple of cups of coffee a day, too, but I will swish with water afterwards.

Did you have a lot of work needed?
I am wondering if I will be a candidate for self litigating.
If you look at my smile it is not bad at all - but the teeth themselves (my bite) don't meet!
My bite needs a lot of work - I just hope I am not told that they are not strong enough or something. Well we shall see.

So you don't have ceramic on the bottom? Metal on bottom?
Is that to save money since ceramic are more $$ - or is it because you need a stronger metal on the bottom and sides?

My top doesn't need much work. I just had a couple of teeth that were crowded. The bottom was my issue. No major problems except I have some crowding and a rotated tooth. They've got to move that thing from sideways to facing front. I've hidden that tooth so long I won't know what to do with myself when I can smile really big and not have to hide it!

I didn't get a choice on ceramics for the bottom or sides. It's what my doctor suggested and I went for it. I have a deep bite and he said I could damage my top teeth on the ceramic brackets if I did lower. He did a molar build-up so I won't bite my metal ones now. I've heard that most orthos don't do ceramics for both top and bottom. Most photos I've seen are pretty much ceramic top and metal bottom. Also since I've got that one wayward tooth it was probably much better to use metal for me on the lowers.

Hope this helps! When are you getting braced?

Thks again for info.
I haven't chosen an ortho yet - and will have to have a tooth pulled first - so not sure when.

totally don't want to do it - but really have no choice.

Hi Beth, the brackets are actually called "self-ligating", not "self-litigating". But I think it would be hilarious if there really were self-litigating brackets out there. Maybe they would be popular with lawyers?

ohmyjaw wrote:Hi Beth, the brackets are actually called "self-ligating", not "self-litigating". But I think it would be hilarious if there really were self-litigating brackets out there. Maybe they would be popular with lawyers?

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Hi ya!

HAAAAAA - typo on my part! That is too funny, good joke in there!

I have my first consult with an ortho on Friday - when I called and spoke to his office manager we chatted a bit about braces and frequency of appointments. (I had called one ortho who had no evening hours beyond 5 and for a working adult that just won't work, so that ortho came off my list. ) Not only did she tell me that they have several nights each week that they are there until 7 but she also mentioned self ligating braces and if they are appropriate for me, they reduce frequency of adjustments.

Thanks for info!

[quote="Meryaten"]

As lbd said, there are actually self-ligating brackets available in both metal, and clear. However, most rothos use only a small subset of the brackets that are available on the market. My advice to people is always that they should choose the orthodontist, then pick from among the brackets he recommends for them, rather than picking a bracket and looking for an ortho that uses it.

Hi and thanks for your feedback. Well being the researcher that I am - and an extremely informed patient (I have had some elective surgeries in the past and find that there is so much information readily available to us as patients - many people do not bother to do their homework where their health or just general well being is concerned and they pay for it in the end and are unhappy with results) I like to really learn about EVERYTHING that is involved when I decide to go ahead with something of this nature.

So for me, learning all about the types of braces and various results will help me choose the ortho I want. Word of mouth and recommendations are great, but that being said - different orthos will choose different treatment plans and have different results. I see this as a huge investment in my health and my appearance so I want to be sure the approach taken is not only what the ortho believes is best, but what I believe is best too.

And - if an ortho does not offer clear self ligating brackets that I prefer since I readily admit I am a vain person - then I will indeed choose another.

Thanks again for your feedback!

And - if an ortho does not offer clear self ligating brackets that I prefer since I readily admit I am a vain person - then I will indeed choose another.

Don't let vanity compromise your final outcome. You're only going to be in braces for a short while , but you'll have to live with the results of your treatment forever. Your friends and family are going to notice your brackets regardless of the type (ceramic, metal, self-ligating, or "traditional"). Other people may or may not notice them, but does their opinion matter that much to you?

You should pick an orthodontist first and then go with the brackets that they believe is the best for your situation. I've read more posts from people who were upset that they couldn't communicate with their orthodontist or that they didn't fully understand their treatment more so than people who complained about their bracket type. Also, just because an ortho offers clear, self-ligating brackets, it doesn't mean they know how to use them or that they're the best for your specific treatment. If your case is relatively straight forward, then more than likely there won't be a problem with the clear self-ligating brackets that you want. It seems like you've already made up your mind about what you want - good luck with your treatment.

>Don't let vanity compromise your final outcome. You're only going to be in braces for a short while , but you'll have to live with the results of your treatment forever. Your friends and family are going to notice your brackets regardless of the type (ceramic, metal, self-ligating, or "traditional"). Other people may or may not notice them, but does their opinion matter that much to you?

No offense, but I don't agree - but hey that is what makes horse races!
I'm not ashamed to admit that vanity is important to me - and two years is NOT a short while for me to be in braces. I'm almost 42 years old, and as I get older every year really counts! LOL

So far - from all I gather the results achieved should NOT be impacted based on if I choose clear self litigating brackets or not as long as they are suitable for the work I need done, and from what I gather choosing those over another type will not have an adverse affect on my outcome.
I also have the time and choices (because of the area I live in NY/NJ) in MANY MANY specialists - therefore I have the luxury of being able to pick from a very large population of highly capable orthos.

I feel confident that I will be able to find a # of highly skilled orthodontists who all will do a good job. But above and beyond skill level what will also determine who I choose is their personality, their office atmosphere, their office hours, their staff, their technique, and the treatment plan I deem is best for me. Though I doubt there will be a huge range in total price, I already know braces in my area of the country will be very pricey - I definitely won't be shopping for the best price either, I'll pay whatever it costs for the person I am most comfortable with.

Bottom line is HOW can you REALLY determine WHO is best for you and WHO will do the best job??? I have a # of very reputable
people recommended to me by my dentist and oral surgeon - but who is to say who will do the best job? That is impossible to say,
so why wouldn't I go with the someone who offers all I want as long as they were recommended to me?

This is a big commitment in time and money - and I have to be happy with who I choose for a variety of reasons.

Thanks very much for your input!

All the best -

Beth1966,

Sounds like you are doing your homework and I am sure this research will make you feel more comfortable with your decision.

I was also faced with several options as I was beginning the process. As an older adult I was concerned as you are with several factors but ultimately relied on my dentist and the recommendations of my ortho as to the type of brackets. My choice was clear brackets but my ortho believed with having to rotate several teeth metal damon brackets would not only be better suited for my case but they would reduce the time spent in braces. I feel like she was being honest and forthright and I chose to take her advice.

I would be less than honest if I told you that I have never regretted that decision. There have been times when I wish I would have insisted on ceramic brackets but that is not a daily concern. I currently have to wear wear an array of elastics to fix a midline problem. I never realized that elastics would be such a major part of my treatment. Would I still have gotten the braces if I had known how long I would be in elastics? Probably but I wonder if with traditional brackets if the elastics confiuration would have been different. I guess there are just certain things that pop up during your treatment that you can not always anticipate.

Overall I am pleased with my progress and realized that time does fly and my saga will hopefully end in a couple of months.

Look forward to following your story and hope all goes well.

Rhonda - http://www.myspace.com/ibbraced

Thanks so much Rhonda - I will ask you as I did someone else, is that your smile in your profile!? If so you look great WITH braces! I am sure it is easy for me to say - but I hope I look as happy and good as you do!

I'm really not AS vain as I appear, and I honestly don't care what others think as much as what I think! LOL! I look at myself a lot too! HAHAHA!

Anyway -- if my ortho told me that clear brackets and or ceramic or the least visible form of braces (I know I am not a candidate for Invisalign) were not the best choice for me and my treatment for whatever reason - then I would never force it. Infact I would not expect any ethical ortho to put them on me if they were not suitable for my situation.

But I will continue to hope that I will be as happy as possible with the options made available to me. I already know I will be happy with the results as the way I have to chew now is really annoying!

Thks again!
Beth