New Damon Braces FAQ added!

To help inform you, if you're thinking about having Damon braces, I've made an FAQ which has many questions I could think of that you might be curious about. If there is any information I can add, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Day 21 - first wire change!!

Day 21 with Damon Braces

This morning I had my first appointment three weeks after getting the Damon Braces on. I thought they would just check to see what had happened and ask if everything was comfortable and that would be it. That did happen and they also took out the old wire and give me a new one. I’ve heard from other Blogs and Vlogs that at some point they possibly switch from a ‘rounded’ wire to a ‘rectangular’ wire. But I was told this new wire is similar to the other (‘rounded’) one, just stronger. To me, it doesn’t appear to me to be that much thicker. It appears very much like the old one. Incidentally if anyone was wondering (like I was) about how many wire changes one goes through with Damon Braces and how quickly, I found this thread which suggests that it’s really different for everyone, and more wire changes do not necessarily equal a faster treatment time.

Bottom teeth with the braces on

The dentist also took out this hook from the bottom bracket that was tearing into my cheek and caused a huge ulcer in my first week. Now it’s a lot smoother and I don’t have to keep putting wax on it. But I was given two more packets of wax in case things start moving and hooks start to rub against my cheeks again.

It’s hard to see from the picture just from the front but my bottom teeth have already moved a lot. There’s less crowding together of the bottom four, which I think means that the surrounding teeth must have also moved back to create space for them. A clearer picture is to the left which shows the two teeth either side of the bottom front teeth moving out from behind. 

My next appointment is in five weeks, I think I’ll be able to see a lot of change by that time!

My top row of teeth with the braces on

Damon Clear Braces - the initial process

Getting the braces on!

I got my Damon Braces on yesterday and although there are lots of Vlogs and Blogs out there about Damon Braces, I thought I may also be able to add something to the discussion and provide info for people.

The whole process of getting the braces on took about two hours altogether, with the time spent in the chair for the teeth cleaning and brackets about an hour. Before putting them on, the dentist makes an impression of both the top and bottom teeth, meaning you have to bite into this plasticine-like stuff for a few minutes. An X-Ray is also made of your teeth. Before they put the brackets on your teeth, they have to thoroughly clean them with a powerful electric toothbrush. Before putting the glue onto your teeth they need to make sure all the toothpaste has been rinsed off and the teeth are completely dry. This was the only part that really hurt. On the left side of my mouth a lot of gum is missing from one top tooth and the nerve is sometimes exposed. During the brushing they must have got a bit too close to this bit, and when they used the water jet to rinse everything away, I really jumped.

So after the teeth are very clean and everything is rinsed away, they then put an apparatus into your mouth which holds the sides of the mouth open, and also a drain which sucks away any saliva (they told me I wouldn’t need to swallow, but I did feel the need to a few times).

Glue is applied to the teeth and the dentist applies the brackets to the teeth, and a bit of pressure is applied to make them stay in place. Then all the remaining glue is washed away and the wire is put into the brackets.

Right now the wire only stretches over the front teeth on my upper and lower jaw, it doesn’t stretch all the way to the back teeth.

Cost

My Damon Clear braces cost in all 5000€. I didn't shop around because I was happy with the first dentist I visited, and to be honest, I just wanted to get on with starting the treatment, once I had set my mind upon it. But I would advise others to shop around, especially if you're not totally satisfied with the people who are going to be undertaking your treatment.

Treatment Time

After my initial consultation I was told that my braces would need to be on for about 9 months. Of course, like most people, I'm hoping that it will be shorter than that.