Braces are not all the same
Braces are really a system for moving teeth with 3 main parts:
1.
the actual brace – the handle on the tooth – glued to the tooth – by itself nothing happens – the brace needs the…
2.
the wire – the wire delivers the pressure to the tooth through the brace – it is removable and needs to be held into the brace to apply the pressure – now you have to hold the wire into the brace…
3.
the wire holding mechanism
You need a way to hold the wire into the brace to deliver that pressure from the wire to the brace, to move the tooth.
Now this is where it gets interesting – at least for orthodontists.
There are 3 main ways to hold the wire into the brace in modern braces:
a. elastic ligature or O ring – the traditional way
b. metal clip – newer way pioneered by a Canadian over 20 years ago
c. door – new technology developed by Dr. Damon
As the teeth move to get straighter, the brace must be able to move or slide along the wire. The door mechanism that was developed by Dr. Damon allows this movement to take place more easily. The elastic O ring or clip puts a drag on the wire that must be overcome with more pressure. Damon braces using the little built-in door, without the clip or elastic, let the wire slide more easily.
The difference with these Damon braces is huge in my experience. We use lighter wires delivering less pressure on the teeth, to move teeth faster and more gently. I have been using the Damon brace system for more than five years now. I love what they can do, and the way they do it.
Damon braces are certainly not the only way to straighten teeth. I used regular braces myself for many years and I was pleased with the results. Braces work to straighten teeth – they all do the job.
I found that as time went on, I wanted to move teeth better without having to remove teeth to make the space for that movement. I wanted orthodontic treatment to be more comfortable than it was with regular braces. I was not satisfied with regular braces.
There are lots of good orthodontists who use regular braces with the O rings or the ones with the clips and achieve good results. Some orthodontists do not believe that the Damon braces are any better. I rely on my experience with regular braces for over twenty years and what I am seeing now with Damon braces. I would not return to the way I used to straighten teeth.
Getting the most out of Damon braces requires learning many new techniques and skills. It has been a challenge to use them to their full advantage, but my staff and I agree that the work we have done to learn the Damon System has been very rewarding. We love our Damon braces, but more importantly we love what they can do for our patients and their smiles.
Check out the Damon brace website to learn more:
http://www.damonbraces.com/index.php
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About Me
- Dr. John Campbell
- I was born and raised in Winnipeg. Dentistry is in my blood. My grandfather, Fred Campbell, owned and operated a dental lab in Winnipeg. My father, Dr. William Campbell, or Bill, was an orthodontist until he retired in 1989. I used to hang around the office and I caught the bug. I graduated from The University of Manitoba with my D.M.D. in 1981. I spent one year interning at The Children’s Hospital Dental Program. I decided to be an orthodontist like my father – he loved his job and that was good enough for me. I received my orthodontic education at the University of Manitoba Graduate Orthodontic Program I love technology. More than technology, I am interested in getting better – I want to improve the service we provide to our patients, parents and their dentists, because a healthy smile is a team effort. My goal and that of my staff is never to stop getting better. I have two wonderful children. My daughter Alex is in third year Engineering at the University of Manitoba and my son Reid is in his first year of University and interested in geology. I am very happy that both of my kids are excited about the possibilities for education and technology as I am.