The difference between traditional brackets and passive self-ligating brackets is that traditional brackets use bands that cause friction, greater inconsistent pressure and discomfort, while passive self-ligating brackets are softer and gentler with your teeth, as they reduce friction to the minimum necessary, achieving results in less time with better results and taking care of the health of your teeth.
What are Damon brackets and how do they work?
Damon brackets, which are the ones we use in our practice, receive this name because Damon is the brand name of these brackets, the best known, most technologically advanced and prestigious self-ligating orthodontic system.
They are a type of brackets that, unlike conventional brackets, do not require the use of ligatures to attach the brackets to the arch. These ligatures are replaced by a small piece in the form of a clip or gate located in the center of the bracket in such a way that the high quality and high technology archwire is held by the bracket exerting pressure on the dental piece until it reaches the desired position.
With traditional braces, orthodontists often have to remove crowded teeth to create space. The Damon System uses biological forces that take advantage of the body’s adaptive processes to create space naturally. In most cases doctors using the Damon System can treat without the common premolar extractions.
With traditional treatment, creating space and developing the arches sometimes requires wearing uncomfortable extraoral appliances and painful palatal expanders. However, a series of recent tomographic studies have shown that the use of the Damon System’s light, constant forces stimulates a natural adaptive process that widens the arches. This creates space, a wide and harmonious smile.
The Damon System, as with conventional brackets, offers different types of material options: metal, clear and porcelain. The material does not influence the treatment mechanics, but only the desired esthetics.
Damon Clear brackets are made of a type of ceramic that is completely transparent. This means that, when placed in the mouth, they are barely noticeable, and at a distance of one and a half meters they are no longer noticeable, an excellent option for adults who choose to wear discreet orthodontics. In addition, due to its material, it does not stain if you drink coffee, wine or if you are a smoker. Unlike traditional clear braces, their ligatures do stain with the ingestion of the aforementioned foods because the plastic of the ligature absorbs food colors and odors.
Advantages of Damon Self-Ligating Brackets
Traditional brackets use elastics or rubber bands that hold the archwire in place. These cause greater friction and pressure, making the treatment slower and more uncomfortable, putting the health of the teeth at risk due to the unnecessary force applied.
Thanks to the passive gate mechanism that keeps the archwire inside the bracket, the friction between the archwire and the brackets is minimal, facilitating the movement of the tooth faster and more comfortably. Although it depends on each patient, it is estimated that treatments with self-ligating brackets last between 5 to 7 months less than with traditional brackets.
They facilitate the cleaning of the appliance by not needing elastic or metal ligatures, essential in conventional brackets, to hold the archwire. These ligatures accumulate plaque that can cause gingival problems.
They cause fewer sores and friction in the soft tissues, since their design is anatomical and smaller.
This system allows us to align the teeth designing wide smiles and in many cases without the need to extract premolars.
In short, the Damon Advanced System provides faster, safer, more hygienic, comfortable and esthetic treatments.
The Damon System passive self-ligating brackets are indicated for all patients who require orthodontics, that is, they can be placed at any age, but, above all, for adults. We dare say that self-ligating brackets are the only system that should be used in an adult, since the unnecessary forces implemented by traditional systems can cause severe damage to the roots of an adult’s teeth.
It is also important to consider this technique as an option if you have been told that you require an extraction.
In Makeover Dental Studio we perform the most advanced techniques of bracket placement by our Orthodontic Specialist Dr. Erika Padilla Montes de Oca with a diploma in Advanced Damon technique. If you need an evaluation, schedule your appointment at makeoverdentalstudio@hotmail.com or call us at MX (664)634-2023 / EU (619) 202-0423.
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