Damon 3's...

[KJNELLAMORE]

I have been doing a lot of reading on Damon 3's, and I have found a very seemingly-'modern' ortho here to perhaps have a THIRD consultation with. I have a very narrow palatte, but I really (REALLY) do NOT want to have surgery. I have thought about it.. and I just really, REALLY do NOT want surgery. I have read that Damon 3's can expand your palatte, however (and if I read correctly, sometimes up to 14mm)... is this true? has anyone had success?

I know that the treatment time is often less... but, how is the pricing compared to conventional braces?

And lastly, is there anything 'negative' about Damon 3's.. any reason why they are 'not' a good idea?

Thanks SO much in advance!

[Bell]

Hi and welcome KJNELLAMORE,
I have not yet got my Damon3 braces (getting them 11/9/06), like yourself i have been researching the damon system and its benefits and advantages compared to other braces etc.

Im very excited and nervous at the same time about getting my braces as im 24 yrs old and in a very face to face occupation. However other people have advised me that they have had good responses about their braces using the damon 3 system, nothing negative. infact i haven't found one negative comment yet.

This site is extremely helpful in finding out other people experiences with damon3 braces and also other braces, since finding out that im getting braces i have been on this site almost everyday

I good site to visit is also damonbraces.com

Good luck with your braces journey.

[KJNELLAMORE]

Uhm... thanks.

Just to clarify, I never said that this could not be achieved with 'any other modern bracket system'. *I* just happen to *like* the fact that Damons are smaller/less noticeable and have the *potential* to work faster *from what I have read*. As I have stated, I have not met with the only Ortho here that offers them yet.. so, who knows what he will see. IMPO, *for me*... if it costs a *bit more* for me to have something in my mouth that I am more comfortable with (since they will be there for 2-3 years), then I am completely fine with *giving in to that hype* and *spending a bit more* to have that benefit. I did not once say that they were BETTER or more EFFICIENT at what they do, or that it could not be achieved otherwise. I have just been doing a lot of research on both sides of the fence, and was wondering if there is a special way that they can expand your palatte... that is ALL that I was wondering. I am a research fanatic, and will never/have never make/made a decision in my life without thouroughly researching it. They are *new*, so of course there is 'hype'.. but, many more adults are getting braced now, so perhaps they give in to the hype purely for shallow, asthetic reasons... because, I know that I might (even if I DO have surgery).

[ShinySmile]

I think Meryaten was just trying to give you a little bit of helpful information here...that it's all about the skill of the ortho you choose, not the bracket system. There's also a lot of debate on how much expansion can be achieved after growth, without the use of surgery. Personally, I found the RPE route to work really well, but it's a case-by-case situation!

If you're looking for comfort, Damons may be a good choice...but so could a lot of the other metal bracket systems! I have "mini" metal brackets (my ortho uses the smallest available on the market), and I don't feel them at all...I've only had them for a week, and I constantly forget that they're in my mouth.

People aren't debating that Damons work, they will work the same depending on your ortho's skill level...but just that there are other expansion/comfort options out there that aren't advertised as well! Good luck with your orthodontic journey, I hope it all works out for you!

[hippyhippo]

My ortho loves the damon system, especially since they've worked out the "bugs" of their earlier brackets. In his experience (he can't speak for others), the damon system definitely lives up to the "hype". Actually, he's just a fan of self-ligating braces period, regardless of brand name.

I'll be getting Damon 3s on my social top teeth, and full metal damons on the rest of my teeth later this month. So I have no first hand experience with them yet. But I'll let you know when I get them on!

On the "other" issue brought up in this discussion, I definitely can understand why some people would caution against choosing an ortho only based on the bracket they use. Orthos should be chosen because of your comfort level with him/her, how you feel about the treatment plan, etc. However, sometimes it seems like the message that comes across here is that "Damons are nothing but marketing hype that some orthos have bought into". This may not be the intended message, but it's a feeling I've picked up on rightly or wrongly. And that's a message which I think is quite insulting to the extremely talented, intelligent, and educated orthos who have chosen to use Damons with great success (and many of them will say with more success). Just as it would be insulting to imply that orthos who use traditional style braces are "either too lazy or too set in their ways to learn how to use new technology like Damons".

What it comes down to is that each ortho has their own preference for which style of bracket they use. This is likely the bracket with which they have the most personal success. So regardless of which bracket actually works better for orthos in general (if there is a difference at all), the best success you'll likely have with a particular ortho is by using their bracket of choice.

Okay, mini-rant over! Back to our scheduled postings...

[Attagirl2]

hi KJNELLAMORE. I will stay out of the hype and give you the experience I have had with Damon 3's. I have been in braces now for 22 months. My original estimate was 12 to 14 months. That being said, most of the reason for the extension was because all four of my first molars are gold crowns and the brackets decided to pop off. Each time a bracket popped of one of them, my orthodontist replaced it. If it popped off a second time it was banded. Because of the difference in timing to when they popped off, I added many months to my treatment. Both the ortodontist and I learned that it is better to band gold crowns right from the start! (He did give me the option to band all four after the first one let go for the second time, but he thought the others would hold. Like I said, a learning experience for us).

Anyway, I have found that the Damon 3's are small, and do sit out away from the teeth some. This, in my opinion is a plus. I have found that in most cases, I can swish water in my mouth and remove most of the trapped food. Sometimes, a water pick, or something of that nature is very helpful - you will learn which foods....

I had a problem with the doors on my Damon's sticking shut because of tartar build up. I am one of those people who evidently make a LOT of tartar. I keep my teeth clean, but it would fill in the doors. I had to have my lowers replace three times because of this. The third time, he put Smart Clips on my teeth, to finish my treatment. I also had some replaced on the uppers, but those were speradic in nature. The orthodontist also found or invested in a tool that opens them, vs using a pick to open the doors. So between rinsing with an anti plaque rinse three times a day, bigger wires that alow less plaque to fill up the brackets and the new tool, my brackets are doing well.

As for expanding the arch. I had a narrow arch and some minor crowding of my front teeth. That crowding was causing a leverage action between the front upper teeth whenever I bit into anything. The Damon's that I have been wearing have widened my arch nicely, although I can't tell you how much, measurement wise. (I never took before and after measurements).

So, from my standpoint, are they worth it? Yes. Knowing what I know now, I would personally never get brackets with ligatures because what I have now lets me keep my teeth cleaner. That is not to say the those type braces are bad, just my preference. I also assume that I could have achieved the same benefit had I used other brackets because my orthodontist is very meticulous and concerned about each of his patients.

I understand your need to investigate options and wish you well.

[jcdamon3]

I have had damon3's on now for a year and whenever anyone asks about them I usually chime in.

I have not had any problems with the doors opening. I think my ortho may have already had the door opening tool available. Also I have not had any problems at all with brackets falling off except once. I think I bit into a tortilla chip down in Mexico. I have one crown and they banded it immediately.

The damons are not at all invisible. It will be obvious that you are wearing braces just as with any other bracket ceramic or metal when talking face to face with somone. The great thing about ceramics (which I don't have) is that in pictures they are virtually invisible. If you have a big event like a wedding or graduation and you know there will be lots of pics you may want to see if the ortho will put ceramics on the upper six teeth.

It is good to talk to folks that have already had this type of bracket because if there were any regrets we would be able to tell you. I have had power chains on twice now so I got a little taste of the staining of those things. I swear mine were stained in one week. If I went with ceramics and had to deal with that all the time I would probably not be happy. The way my ortho puts power chains on is under the archwire so they are even less noticeable. I don't think all orthos do it that way.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[ingyandbert]

Another Damon user here. I've found them to be very comfortable, much more so than I expected. I've never had a problem with the doors sticking. The only problem I've had with a bracket coming off was because it had to be placed over a metal filling. The ortho replaced it and it's fine. I've also seen my arches widen dramatically after just the first few months, and my ortho says I haven't seen anything yet. Based on my experience, I'm giving Damons a big thumbs up.