You may have found out recently that to get the straighter smile that you have always wanted as an adult, you may need to wear braces.
In 2023, more adults than ever before are wearing braces, and, as such, while these devices were once linked to soreness and unappealing appearances, technology has come a long way. Now, even the most basic braces are more comfortable than they were a decade ago.
So, if you want to straighten your teeth in 2023, come and see our dentist in Canary Wharf. At Align & Smile, we can offer all manner of orthodontic tools at our clinic, from aligners to fixed options, and we will choose the tool that will work the fastest based on your unique clinical case.
In this article, we will walk you through the Damon brace, and our dentist in Canary Wharf will explain what you need to know about this newer-generation device. Enjoy!
What are Damon braces?
Firstly, what is a Damon brace?
It is a fixed brace that many orthodontists use to correct issues relating to crowding.
It can be fixed with tooth-coloured brackets or metal ones and is a self-ligating brace. That means it won’t need tightening or adjusting every 6-8 weeks but rather every 10 weeks. Our dentist in Canary Wharf prefers Damon braces for our patients, as they are more comfortable and apply less pressure to the teeth.
Self-ligating brackets
In older versions of the brace, the brackets used to be attached and held to the archwire via an elastic band.
However, self-ligating braces use a permanently fixed, moveable tool to hold the archwire in place. With the Damon brace, this is a small metal ‘door’ on the front of the brace that our team can open and close when we need to switch the width of the wire; this means that the wires are less likely to pop off, and the process will be quicker as well as less fiddly.
What the Damon brace can treat
As mentioned earlier, many orthodontic teams use this brace to treat crowding, as it can widen your smile.
However, it can also be used to treat overbites, underbites or uneven teeth. As such, the brackets can often have hooks that elastic bands may need to be attached to, which will pull the jaws forward or back as needed.
Treatment time
Generally speaking, treatment with most fixed orthodontic tools will take around two years.
However, this may vary based on how your teeth react to the treatment, how well your oral hygiene is maintained and whether or not a bracket pops off. If you lose a bracket, our team will need to see you promptly, as each popped-off bracket can delay you getting the braces off by about three weeks. So, don’t delay having the bracket put back on!
Cleaning the brace
You will need to clean your teeth twice a day when wearing the Damon brace, but your oral hygiene will likely need to be upped.
So, we recommend using an electric toothbrush with a circular head, as well as a pointed one, a water flosser, regular dental tape (you may need a floss threader) and high fluoride mouthwash, as well as an orthodontic toothpaste. It sounds like a lot, but poorly maintained teeth can lead to delays in treatment, and the last thing you want is to have the brace removed prematurely.