Don't be fooled

[plugnickel69]

It's been said many times before that brackets don't move teeth, it's the archwires, elastics, etc. that control tooth movement. Orthodontics is big business, and companies spend many millions of dollars a year to brainwash the public. The Damon System has done a fantastic job making prospective patients feel that their hardware eliminates the need for tooth extraction as well as other characteristics that they say make their brackets superior. It's mostly a lot of hype. If you have an experienced dentist or incompetent orthodontist using their brackets, but placing them improperly, you will end up with unacceptable results. On the other hand, an extremely capable orthodontist could use old fashioned brackets and devise a treatment plan to give you superior results. Here's a golf analogy. A poor golfer could spend thousands of dollars on the best equipment and still not come close to breaking 100. Tiger Woods could pick up a thirty-year-old set of clubs and break par.

Don't be fooled by the hype. If you're starting anew on this journey, find the best ortho you can find who will keep open communications with you. Don't pick your ortho by the brand of brackets. Good luck!

[Kipepeo]

I think what you're really trying to say is that the knowledge, experience, and expertise of your treating professional is key when making an orthodontic decision, not the type of hardware being used.

However, there are pros and cons to each type, and the same comparison can be made with Invisaligns, linguals, spring retainers, etc. So there are some things about, say, the Damon system that would appeal to some people over conventional brackets, such as more time between office visits, more comfortable brackets, etc. And those may be factors one would consider when choosing.

Plus, for Damon it's not just the brackets they're marketing, it's the whole 'system'.

[kennyandrew85]

I have said what you've said in numerous topics.

The thing is, people do actually believe the marketing and come out with rubbish like...
'I don't need extractions, i have damon'
'My treatment will be faster, i have damon'
'I'll have a wider arch, I have damon'

It's all a load of rubbish and is simply a bracket which gets rid of the need of little rubber bands, that is all.

[jem]

I agree with Kipepeo. Different orthodontic appliances produce results in different ways.And some are better for some purposes and some for others.

From what I have read, expansion of the arches with or without IPR as well can sometimes mean that extractions can be avoided because a bigger arch means more space. There is evidently controversy as to the extent to which adult arches can be expanded. I understand the Damon system can achieve some expansion.This is nothing to do with the brackets; it is related to the use of archwires wider than the patient's arch which give an element of expansion. Presumably the same can be achieved with other brands of bracket.

I agree that the key to successful treatment is the choice of a good ortho, rather than focusing on the particular orthodontic tools they happen to use.

I also agree that there is also a lot of BS in the marketing of orthodontics. In the UK, the marketing is mostly of Invisalign, but anyone who believes that they can buy invisalign as a commodity from any dentist rather than seeking out a good orthodontist to provide invisalign if suitable may end up with a compromised result.

As to bracket types, I think orthos in the UK use what they are confident can produce a good result and would not consider giving their patients any choice other than a choice between clear or metal. So I don't see what value can be achieved out of marketing brands of fixed braces.

I have Damon clear because that is what my ortho chooses to work with. She has been an orthodontist since long before Damon brackets came on the market and presumably has chosen to use Damon because they work well for her patients and her practice. I chose my ortho on the basis of strong recommendations of her as an ortho and had never heard of Damon or any other brand of fixed braces before I consulted her. The only brands I asked her about were invisalign and inman aligners, which were too expensive and unsuitable respectively.

My treatment has not been particularly quick;I am only having limited treatment of one arch and am behind my predicted finishing estimate. However, I have never had any pain or soreness from the Damon brace and it is easy to keep clean. We are getting there gradually in terms of the alignment of my teeth and I am generally happy with the Damon brace. There is certainly no magic about Damon braces and I have no experience of any other brand, but if anybody asked me, I would say my experience with Damon so far has been good.

Jem

[TMJJill]

I too am in Damon braces. I knew nothing about brands of braces when I chose my Orthodontist. I agree it is all about the training and experience of the orthodontist. I have some serious TMJD issues and I did tons of research before finding an orthodontist who had extensive training in treating TMJD. It was important for me to have an orthodontist who could look at the function of my bite as it relates to my teeth and whole body health. I actually did extended splint therapy before moving on to Phase II of my treatment. My orthodontist offered me a variety of treatment choices and I chose the Damon braces based upon my individual needs and what I hope to accomplish with results. So far, I've had tremendous upper arch development and I'm very happy with my progress. I will say that my treatment time is 2 years so I can't say that my treatment time is shortened. I'm dealing with bite issues more than just straightening teeth though.

I really think your treatment should make sure your bite is considered and that the choice of treatments is based upon individual needs.

[plugnickel69]

Some of the "improvements" in orthodontics are more for the benefiit of the ortho than the patient. I had a discussion a few months ago with my ortho concerning the use of niti wires. I had to see one of his associates when a newly installed bracket came loose from a crowned tooth, and the other ortho completely changed my setup, removing the steel wire that my ortho had installed just a few days before and replacing it with a niti wire, and replacing my powerchain with individual ligs. Shortly I began to get gaps opening up.

I emailed my ortho who had me make an appointment to come in shortly after. He changed back the configuration, said the associate just loved to use niti wires. He said when niti first came out, many orthos thought the new wires could save them an unbelievable amount of chair time. Just put them in and let them work their magic for many months at a time before the next adjustment.

Self-ligating brackets? Much faster than ligating each bracket. Saves chair time! What do they advertise? Less friction! I'm not so sure.

I'm glad my ortho doesn't seemed concerned with how long an adjustment takes. Moreover, there's no waiting even when I come in early (as long as they're open to begin work).

[Dee17]

I also have Damon Q brackets. When I was doing my research I came across the Damon website and was very intrigued by their claim that treatment time is shorter with their brackets. When I went in to have my consultation with my orthodontist (who I found by clicking on their "Find A Damon Doctor" link), I mentioned this to him. He said, "I really wish Ormco (the maker of Damon brackets) would stop saying that. In my experience this has not been true. My patients have less pain but not shorter treatment time. Your treatment will take two years, possibly longer." So, imagine my surprise! Despite that, I ended up hiring him to do the job because he took the time to answer my approximately 25 questions I had and he has loads of experience in orthodontics.

[plugnickel69]

It makes me feel so bad when I read that patients are afraid to ask their ortho questions regarding their treatment. You are lucky that you found an ortho with patience for his patients.

[Dee17]

Oh yes, that's right. But I would not have hired him had he not been willing to take the time to answer all my questions. I think it's very important that you be able to advocate for yourself whenever you are having anything done be it a test or surgery or a dental procedure. I would not work with any kind of clinician who was not willing to do that for me. It's too important. Still, I understand that it's hard for some people to be assertive about things like that. This has always come relatively easy to me and it has been to my advantage more times than I care to remember!

[CoryDaniels]

Damons? hype? I don't think so....let me tell you why. First ortho I went to, said No to invisalign and said I would need at least 24 months in ceramics (with ligs) and surgery....not sure what for.

Went to get a 2nd opinion. (my current ortho) said, 18 months in Damons, no extractions, no surgery, a few elastics for a few months and a power chain near the end of my treatment.

Well 13 months into my treatment, ortho says I will be in the tweaking stage at my next appointment, well just went in for my next appointment and recieved my power chain on the top and will go back in January so check progess and talk about my debanding!
I believe that damons do work better than traditional braces at working faster...the science behind it makes sense....less friction, more movement.
I am SUPER happy with damons and My girl also has them now and are working awesome for her as well!

[TMJJill]

Oh yes, that's right. But I would not have hired him had he not been willing to take the time to answer all my questions. I think it's very important that you be able to advocate for yourself whenever you are having anything done be it a test or surgery or a dental procedure. I would not work with any kind of clinician who was not willing to do that for me. It's too important. Still, I understand that it's hard for some people to be assertive about things like that. This has always come relatively easy to me and it has been to my advantage more times than I care to remember!

I second this!!!! I would be in much much worse shape right now if I hadn't learned to do this both with my medical and dental issues. Two of my specialists keep telling me they wish more patients were like that.

It is extremely important to educate yourself and advocate for yourself in all areas. Asking questions until you understand the answers and what to expect is a huge part of that. You need to be able to connect and communicate with your specialist.

[plugnickel69]

It would be wonderful if we can use this forum to give all ortho patients the courage to communicate with their orthodontists and to be proactive on their own behalf so they get the best treatment they can.

[Dee17]

Maybe one of the forum administrators could post a link to a selection of different questions that patients can take when they go for their first visit. I know that after doing my own preliminary research I had about 25 questions. Most of them were probably pretty "basic" to him but he answered each and everyone of them and that meant a lot to me. He has been very patient with me ever since, taking the time to answer questions a few times via email. I think that maybe this is just his nature, but it has been very helpful to me. My husband was a university professor and he used to always say, "Never be afraid to ask a question. And if you don't understand the answer you receive, ask it again and again and again until you do." Sometimes doctors can become annoyed by patients who do this but, in my opinion, that says much more about them as a physician/dentist than it does about the person who is asking the questions.
Board moderators? Any thoughts on this thread?

[kennyandrew85]

I found this board after searching the internet about brace types, it was only when i saw youtube videos from DAMON scare mongering that really worried me and I had to find a forum.

There were claims that twins who had braces, one with extractions had a weaker jaw, caved in face etc.

Then another video showing some women lying on her back struggling to breathe saying extractions caused it.

As you could understand I was pretty scared at this point as I'd already had the left side teeth extracted!

If i'd had seen the videos before extractions and not found this forum, I'd not have gone ahead with braces unless I found a DAMON specialist. It's simply scare tactics.

[jem]

Hi Kenny,

No wonder you give the impression of being anti-Damon!

I doubt they would get away with that sort of advertising in the UK, but presumably it is very difficult to police stuff like that being put up on the web. It is a shame because their product is perfectly good and does not need unethical marketing.

I think extractions are another of the controversial topics in orthodontics, but I can't imagine that any decent orthodontist would deny that extractions are needed in some cases.

I lost my 1st pre-molars in my first orthodontic treatment as an adolescent and am sure my teeth would have been far worse now if I had not had that treatment.


Jem