When You Smile the Whole World Smiles with You

by Kevin J. Andrews DDS, MS- Orthodontics |

The Damon System…Braces for Adults

Do you remember how big and bulky braces used to be? Well, thanks to current orthodontic technology, brackets are smaller than ever. In fact, downsizing the overall dimensions of the braces and needing less forces to move and align teeth has made orthodontics more popular and much more comfortable. There are many types of brackets and styles patients can select. One such type is the clear translucent braces or the clear aligners to straighten teeth. Today smiles can be made wider without the need for palatal expanders (a metal screw device that fits up in the palate or roof of the mouth).

Expanders have been an excellent appliance that allowed orthodontists to treat many more cases without the need for extraction of permanent teeth. These expanders create more space for the teeth to align and increase the width of the jaws by loosening and separating the palatal bones. The smiles in today’s society are bigger and brighter than ever thanks, in large part, to expanding dental arches. While most patients are willing to avoid extractions and choose to insert expanders, there are some disadvantages to using expanders: they can be obstructive to the tongue and may temporarily cause difficulty in speech and swallowing.

Orthodontists who utilize the Damon System of Braces can expand both the upper and lower dental arches significantly with small, light archwires only and on most cases do not require the use of expanders. This system has been clinically proven to expand and widen smiles as much as 11mm (on adults or children) and more without excessive pressures that expanders can place. This is a much more comfortable method with a lot less hardware involved. So, how does this system with such light forces widen and expand bone?

Conventional brackets require the wire to be “tied into the slot” either with steel wires or colorful elastic type rings. With these systems, there can be anywhere from 400 to 700 times more friction bound up by “tying in” or holding tightly the archwires into this slot of the bracket. The key to changing arch forms and widening smiles is to reduce the friction between the wire and the slot on the brackets (braces). This is accomplished by using high-tech heat activated archwires (with memory of their shape) passively in Damon braces that have a door to lightly hold the archwires. There is less friction and tension between the interface of the wire and the slot of the bracket and the wires are allowed to slide freely through these small doors. In fact, by reducing this friction, there is less pressure required to loosen the bones allowing the teeth to move easily with bone tissues remodeling around teeth. It is incredible! Simple, gentle forces generate big smiles.

So, with smaller brackets and no expanders, Orthodontists can comfortably create big wide grins with a lot less tin in your mouth, which is great for adults considering orthodontic work. That gives you something to smile about!

References:

1. “The Damon System vs. conventional appliances—a comparative study”, Tagawa D. Clinical Impressions 2006; 15-1.
2. “Treatment time, outcome and patient satisfaction comparisons of Damon and conventional brackets”, Eberting JJ, Straja SR, Tuncay OC. Clinical Orthodontics and Research 2001; 4(4):228-234.
3. “Self-ligating brackets and treatment efficiency”, Harradine NWT. Clinical Orthodontics and Research 2001; 4:220-227.

For more info, contact Dr. Kevin J. Andrews DDS, MS- Orthodontics at (775) 674-1444.