Harwell and Harwell Orthodontics takes pride in our pursuit of new and better ways to treat our patients. As an example, we have spent the last four years researching the new technologies in bracket design. Our resulting discovery is the Damon bracket system. This new technology is a low force, low friction brace with sliding doors and light wires. This new idea does away with the color ties and heavy forces of traditional brackets, and replaces them with a sliding door to reduce the wire friction and improve the tooth movement and efficiency.
What does this really mean for our patients? First, significantly lighter force levels can be used, which should allow for better tooth movement. The resulting efficiency helps our office take out fewer permanent teeth than traditional orthodontic treatment philosophies. Additionally, these light forces are significantly more comfortable to the patients, meaning less pain during treatment.
Damon Videos
Along with these lighter forces, these new braces can shorten your time in braces by four to eight months. Further, we now can have longer intervals between appointments, even up to 10 weeks, in some cases, because the rubber ties are no longer limiting the effectiveness of our treatment. And finally, cleaner, brighter teeth during, and especially after treatment are also important benefits of the new bracket system. The color ties are the primary culprit for poor hygiene including swollen red tissues, white decalcification marks and even cavities. By taking the color ties away, every patient will benefit by improved hygiene. We are giving up the color ties to improve our treatment techniques and reduce the time you and your family wears braces.
Not only will the Damon bracket system shorten your treatment time and improve comfort, it allows us to do a better job than traditional brackets. We envision a “full-face” approach to treatment, which improves the smile, function and long-term health of you and your teeth. Please sit back and enjoy the benefits of the most modern treatment techniques available in the orthodontic profession. We pride ourselves in the comfort and treatment of our patients!
Damon Splint
Designed by Dr. Dwright Damon, the Damon Splint is generally utilized to reinforce Class II and Class III correction, as well as lateral tongue thrusting and crossbite treatment. The appliance consists of two Essix slip covers bonded together from the back molar to the middle of the upper cuspid tip, to retain the teeth and arches in the corrected position. The Damon Splint is manufactured from durable, aesthetically pleasing materials.
Parts of the Damon System
| 1. Band | The ring of metal that is glued onto the tooth | |
| 2. Bracket | The attachment bonded to tooth or welded to bond | |
| 3. Bonded Bracket | Attachment bonded directly to the tooth; the bracket holds the archwire | |
| 4. Bracket w/ Hook | Hook that is made on bracket and is used for rubberband wear | |
| 5. Bracket Slot | Rectangular slot where the archwire is placed | |
| 6. Sliding Door | Door that slides up and down to allow easy removal of archwire (makes tooth movement friction free) | |
| 7. Archwire | Large removable wire that fits around the arch into the bracket slots (It causes tooth movement) | |
| 8. Posted Archwire | Archwire with welded post attached to the wire | |
| 9. Distal End | End of the archwire that sometimes extends through molar bracket (should be cut so not to irritate) | |
| 10. Hook | Added to the bracket so rubberbands can be worn | |
| 11. Coil Spring | Fits between brackets and over archwire | |
| 12. Lacing | Metal or elastic tie used to bind teeth together | |
| 13. Composite Stop | Plastic material bonded directly to the archwire to keep wire from sliding |
