Metal or Clarity Braces

funkey_monkey

I've been to get assessed for braces and have got a puzzle now - I am living in Northern Ireland.

It turns out that I am eligible for NHS treatment. This means that I can get a metal brace (both arches) and retainer for just under £400 for the full treatment.

The Clarity option will cost £2,500 but will be much quicker (in terms of waiting list) and visual less offensive.

I've been estimated at just under 1yr for complete treatment.

The metal braces do look awful and as I'm getting on in years (30+) I'm not sure if I would regret getting in the cheaper option especially as it is there for so long. However, this price difference cannot be ignored.

Is this a no brainer to save £2k and go for the metal braces?

PS - I know this is something I ned to decide myself - I'd just like to hear other peoples opinions - from either side of the dentists chair!


Thanks.

Keano

Personally if my treatment was only £400 for less than a year I know I'd pick metal!

Prodigious

From what I've seen off the clarity ones, they appear to be a version of the retainer I was given after my metal braces. I'd stick with the metal ones, the devil you know and all that.

Dianthus

No question, vanity for a year or so isn't worth £2100 -&any upset could be easily remedied by a few nice holidays in the sunshine instead!
Really depends on how much disposable income you have,OP.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

The wire is metal, its not like white brackets are not noticeable, and after a while the glue goes yellow and you really can see it.

If you have to dough go for whatever looks best and will be fastest (which usually are not the same thing)

funkey_monkey

I can pay it off in installments without it being a burden for me - £150pm would not cause me financial difficulties.
However, I notice Fitzgeme you state that the glue will discolour and become noticable. Would this glue not get replaced - or does that not happen?

Is there anywhere I can see photos of normal people with braces? My online searches have just netted the usual promo photos which don't show the state of the appliance after a period of wear. I would really like to see some photos like these before making my decision.

The only advantage of the Clarity SL is that they are visually less noticable. However, if they discolour and become more prominent after wear then is there any point?

Although an additional bonus is completion before end of this year (approx) as opposed to end of March 2014.

It is a nice problem to have, getting braces for £400, although if it was closer to my first consultation price (£2,500 - metal & £3,000 - Clarity) then the choice would not not be very difficult!

Lia_lia

The Clarity SL won't discolour as there are no elastic thingies in them. I have the normal Clarity braces and they do get pretty yellow after a bit if I drink a lot of coffee but the elastic/ties/ligs/whatever you call them get changed during every visit. But because yours are self ligating it doesn't matter, there is nothing to discolour. My glue didn't discolour anyway. But the wire is very noticeable.

Anyway, if I was you I'd get the metal ones. You'll only have them till the end of the year anyway...it will fly! Spend that money on something else. It's pretty mad that they are charging you so much extra for the Clarity ones I know in the South it's usually an extra €600 euro if you are getting them through the HSE (that's what a friend of mine paid anyway!).

funkey_monkey

Lia_lia wrote: »

The Clarity SL won't discolour as there are no elastic thingies in them. I have the normal Clarity braces and they do get pretty yellow after a bit if I drink a lot of coffee but the elastic/ties/ligs/whatever you call them get changed during every visit. But because yours are self ligating it doesn't matter, there is nothing to discolour. My glue didn't discolour anyway. But the wire is very noticeable.

Thanks for that info.

Anyway, if I was you I'd get the metal ones. You'll only have them till the end of the year anyway...it will fly! Spend that money on something else.

It's pretty mad that they are charging you so much extra for the Clarity ones I know in the South it's usually an extra €600 euro if you are getting them through the HSE (that's what a friend of mine paid anyway!).

That is the difference between NHS (metal only) price and private price. For metal braces I've been quoted £1,700 for private treatment.