Maxillary arch width and buccal corridor changes with Damon and conventional brackets: A retrospective analysis

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Aesthetics
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Buccal corridors significantly influence smile aesthetics.
• Self-ligating bracket systems, such as the Damon system, are increasingly popular.
• Understanding their impact on smile aesthetics is crucial for patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of Damon self-ligating and conventional bracket systems on buccal corridor dimensions.
• To assess differences in buccal corridor width and area between the two bracket systems.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients treated with conventional or Damon self-ligating brackets.
• Standardization of pretreatment and posttreatment frontal photographs using intercanthal width.
• Linear and area measurements of buccal corridors performed using Photoshop CC.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in posttreatment intercanine or intermolar widths between groups.
• No significant differences were found in any buccal corridor width or area measurements between conventional and Damon self-ligating bracket groups.
• Strong correlations were noted between intercanine width and buccal corridor smile width.

Conclusions:

• Both conventional and Damon self-ligating bracket systems can lead to posttreatment increases in arch width.
• There is no significant difference in buccal corridor width or area between patients treated with Damon self-ligating or conventional bracket systems.