Cosmetic Speed Braces— Self Ligating Braces
Self Ligating Braces are braces with brackets that do not need ligatures (the small bands that hold the wire in place). You may also hear them referred to as “speed braces”. Rather than using ligatures or metal ties, the brackets themselves have a sort of trap door that holds the arch wire in place. According to manufacturers this creates less friction between the wire and the bracket.
Several companies produce self-ligating brackets. One popular brand is the Damon bracket, developed by Dr. Dwight Damon. The newest version of this system, the Damon3, is made of a combination of clear material and stainless steel, thus making the brackets appear smaller than previous versions.
Other types of self-ligating brackets include In-Ovation and Smart Clips. A company called GAC developed the In-Ovation system. You can get more information on this system by visiting their website here.
Smart Clips, developed by a company called 3M, are slightly different than other self-ligating brackets. Rather than using a trap door system, their internal structure holds the arch wire in place. This is said to make changing an arch wire easier and faster.
Self-ligating brackets have many benefits. A common claim made by the manufacturers of these types of brackets is that they require less frequent office visits. They are also said to be easier to clean and somewhat more comfortable, as there is less resistance between the brackets and the arch wire.
