Last updated: April 2026
A patient came in last year holding a glossy flyer from a competitor’s office. Big bold headline: “Damon System: 6 months faster! No extractions! More comfortable!” She wanted to know if it was true. Should she switch practices to get Damon Clear braces?
Here’s the honest answer most orthodontists won’t put in a marketing brochure. Damon Clear is a well-engineered self-ligating ceramic bracket system, and the self-ligating mechanism really does reduce friction during wire changes. But the bigger marketing claims (significantly faster treatment, meaningfully less pain, “no extractions needed”) have not held up in peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Dr. Patel’s MS research was published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO), the same journal that has run multiple analyses on exactly this question. This article walks through what Damon Clear is, what the evidence actually shows, and how to think about the choice without the marketing haze.
What Damon Clear Braces Are
Damon Clear is a brand of self-ligating ceramic braces made by Ormco. The brackets are made from polycrystalline alumina (a tooth-colored ceramic that resists staining), and they use a sliding “door” clip mechanism to hold the archwire in place. No elastic ties required.
Important distinction. All Damon braces are self-ligating, but not all self-ligating braces are Damon. Other brands (SmartClip, Empower, In-Ovation, and others) use similar passive or active self-ligating designs. Damon happens to be the most marketed system in the category, which is why patients hear the brand name more often than the underlying technology.
How the Self-Ligating Mechanism Works
Traditional braces hold the archwire in each bracket using small elastic rubber ties (called elastomeric ligatures) or thin metal wires. Those ties create friction. The wire can’t slide freely through the bracket, which means each adjustment has to overcome that friction to move the teeth.
Self-ligating brackets, including Damon Clear, eliminate the elastic ties entirely. Each bracket has a built-in clip or sliding door that holds the wire without pressing down on it. The wire moves more freely within the slot.
There are two subtypes:
- Passive self-ligating (Damon’s approach). The clip holds the wire loosely, minimizing friction.
- Active self-ligating (other brands). The clip presses lightly on the wire, allowing more force control.
In theory, less friction means teeth can move more efficiently. In practice, the real-world difference has been harder to prove than the marketing suggests.
Damon Marketing Claims vs. Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Damon marketing has pushed three big claims for years: faster treatment, less pain, and fewer extractions needed. Here’s how each holds up against the published evidence.
Claim 1: “Faster treatment”
Frequently cited Damon-friendly studies (such as Tagawa 2006) reported patients finishing roughly 7 months faster. Independent peer-reviewed reviews have not replicated that finding.
- Kaklamanos and Athanasiou published a systematic review in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (2010) concluding: “Despite claims about the advantages of self-ligating brackets, evidence is generally lacking. Shortened chair time and slightly less incisor proclination appear to be the only significant advantages of self-ligating systems over conventional systems that are supported by the current evidence.”
- Celar et al. published a systematic review with meta-analysis in the Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics (2013) concluding: “The number of appointments and total treatment times revealed no significant differences between self-ligating and conventional brackets.”
- Maizeray et al. published a network meta-analysis in International Orthodontics (2021) covering 30 randomized controlled trials and concluded: “Most of the claims put forward by the suppliers were not substantiated by our network meta-analysis.”
Verdict: Friction is genuinely reduced. Wire changes during adjustments are genuinely faster (Harradine documented around 24 seconds saved per archwire change). But total treatment time, the thing patients actually care about, doesn’t appear to be meaningfully shorter in well-controlled studies.
Claim 2: “Less pain”
- The Celar et al. 2013 meta-analysis found pain levels did not differ significantly between conventional and self-ligating brackets at 4 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days after wire placement.
- A 2025 narrative review in Cureus concluded: “While SLBs offer certain benefits, they do not significantly surpass CBs in key treatment outcomes,” including pain.
- Some individual studies show small advantages for self-ligating in specific phases. The overall body of evidence is mixed at best.
Verdict: Some patients do report less pressure with self-ligating. Across larger pooled studies, the difference is smaller than marketing suggests.
Claim 3: “Fewer extractions needed”
- Whether you need extractions is determined by crowding, arch length, and bite mechanics. The bracket system doesn’t change the underlying anatomy.
- Systematic reviews have not found evidence that self-ligating systems consistently reduce extraction rates.
- AJODO has published peer-reviewed critiques of the extraction-avoidance claims tied to self-ligating marketing.
Verdict: This claim has the weakest evidence base of the three. Cases that would have needed extractions with traditional braces will generally still need them with Damon.
Who Damon Clear Braces Actually Fit
We’d consider Damon Clear a reasonable choice for:
- Adults or older teens who want less-visible braces but need full braces (not aligners). The ceramic brackets blend with teeth effectively, and lingual braces are far more expensive.
- Patients with complex cases where clear aligners aren’t ideal. If aligner compliance or case complexity is a concern, ceramic self-ligating gives you braces-level correction with reduced visibility.
- Patients of orthodontists who have substantial experience with the Damon System specifically. Bracket systems work best in the hands of clinicians who know them well.
What Damon Clear is not: a shortcut to a faster, less painful, extraction-free outcome regardless of case. The bracket doesn’t override the biology of tooth movement.
Damon Clear vs. Other Clear Options
| Factor | Damon Clear | Standard Ceramic Braces | Clear Aligners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Low, tooth-colored brackets | Low, tooth-colored brackets | Very low, removable trays |
| Ligation | Self-ligating clip | Elastic or wire ties | No brackets |
| Case complexity | All cases, including severe | All cases, including severe | Mild to moderate |
| Typical cost | $4,000 to $8,500 | $4,000 to $8,000 | $3,500 to $8,500 |
| Compliance required | Low, fixed in place | Low, fixed in place | High, 20 to 22 hrs/day |
| Staining risk | Lower (no elastic ties) | Higher (ties stain) | Trays replaced regularly |
| Evidence for “faster” | Mixed, mostly inconclusive | Long track record, no efficiency claim | Well-studied for appropriate cases |
Dr. Patel’s Take
Every orthodontic system works in the right hands. Damon Clear is a perfectly good bracket. So are many other self-ligating systems. So are conventional ceramic braces. So are clear aligners for the right cases. What patients are actually paying for isn’t the bracket. It’s the orthodontist’s expertise in using whichever system they use.
We think the more important question isn’t “which brand of braces?” It’s “which orthodontist, and do they see me personally every visit?” A practice that rotates patients through associates while marketing “the latest system” tends to deliver a worse result than a solo orthodontist using a 20-year-old bracket design who’s actually paying close attention to your case. That’s not a dig at any specific practice. It’s how orthodontics works.
For more context on self-ligating systems in general and how they compare to other treatments, see our guide on types of braces and our comparison of braces vs. clear aligners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Damon Clear braces actually faster than regular braces?
In peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses (Kaklamanos and Athanasiou 2010, Celar et al. 2013, Maizeray et al. 2021), total treatment time has not been significantly different between self-ligating and conventional brackets. Wire changes at adjustments are faster, but total treatment duration is comparable. The “faster” claim in marketing is not well-supported by independent research.
Are Damon Clear braces more comfortable than regular braces?
Mechanically, lower friction should mean lighter forces. In practice, multiple meta-analyses (including Celar et al. 2013 and the 2025 Cureus narrative review) have found no significant difference in patient pain levels between Damon-style self-ligating and conventional brackets.
Can Damon Clear braces help me avoid tooth extractions?
The Damon System has marketed extraction avoidance as a benefit, but peer-reviewed evidence does not support a meaningful difference. Whether you need extractions is determined by crowding, arch size, and bite, not by bracket design.
Do Damon Clear brackets stain?
The brackets themselves use polycrystalline alumina, which resists staining from coffee, tea, and pigmented foods. Because Damon Clear is self-ligating, it doesn’t use elastic ties (which can stain on standard ceramic braces). Damon Clear tends to maintain its appearance better than ceramic braces with elastic ties over a 12 to 24 month treatment.
How much do Damon Clear braces cost?
Typical cost runs $4,000 to $8,500 in the U.S., comparable to standard ceramic braces and not substantially more than traditional metal braces. They’re far less expensive than lingual braces, which are placed behind the teeth.
Damon Clear braces are a legitimate option. The hype around them is louder than the evidence supports, but the underlying technology is sound. The more important decision is who’s holding the pliers at each adjustment, not the logo on the bracket.
Ready to talk about your smile? Book a free consultation and get a straight answer from the doctor who’ll actually do the work. Schedule with Dr. Patel.
About the Author
Dr. Nishant Patel, DDS, MS, Orthodontist and Founder, Tooth By Tooth Orthodontics. Dr. Patel earned his DDS from the University of Illinois at Chicago (top of his class) and his MS with orthodontic certificate from the University of Minnesota, where his research was published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, the same journal that has published several of the systematic reviews cited above. He has over 12 years of clinical orthodontic experience and is the sole provider at Tooth By Tooth in Cary, NC. Every patient, every visit.
