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Mar 20, 2007 6:35 pm US/Eastern
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Latest In Braces Mean Less Pain, Appointments
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
A new technique in braces could mean less pain and fewer visits to the orthodontist.
They are called Damon Braces and now they are available here in the Pittsburgh area.
"The Damon System is applicable to all ages of patients," said Orthodontist Dr. Gregg Frey. "What it really works on, broader smiles, more youthful smiles, because the force levels are so low it allows the bony tissues to move with the teeth allowing less patients to have permanent teeth extractions."
The big difference is the bracket.
"The Damon system has a friction-free slide attachment which allows the orthodontic arch wire to move freely, lessening the pressure," said Dr. Frey. "The old style braces have bungee-cord attachments that increase pressure and actually slow the teeth down in their movement."
Less pressure means less pain and fewer visits.
"It works great, low forces, less visits. So if you have a busy schedule, you can extend your visits with the initial arch wires, ten to twelve weeks, versus the conventional four to six weeks," said Dr. Frey.
Some parents are impressed with the Damon Braces.
"We were made aware that the visits or the upkeep on the braces would be not as often as with the more traditional braces and also that the results would be pretty, we'd see some results pretty significantly, pretty soon and they are already," said mother Taryn Zimmerman.
Doctor Frey says it usually takes an average of 24 months to treat a patient using conventional braces.
With the Damon system, you can expect to speed that up by about six months.
Cost varies by complexity of the case.
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