3M Clarity Ultra (Self-Ligating Appliance) Orthodontic Treatment

Hello. I’m Yoon Jeong-won, the chief director of Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong.

Today, I’d like to talk about 3M Clarity Ultra (3M™ Clarity™ Ultra SL), one of the representative self-ligating orthodontic appliances.

In the past, orthodontic treatment was done by fastening brackets and orthodontic wires one by one with thin wire ties (ligatures).

The advantage of this method is that it is favorable for applying the orthodontic force the doctor wants. However, there were also disadvantages for patients. Because of those wires, the inside of the lips was often poked and rubbed, causing discomfort. In addition, since each appliance had to be tied with wire one by one, treatment time became longer, and this is also something patients often find difficult.

To improve this, self-ligating appliances are now widely used among orthodontic devices. A self-ligating appliance means that the bracket itself has a cap (door) that acts like a cover over the wire, so there is no need to wrap the wire with thin wire ties. Instead, it is a device that fixes the bracket to the wire by closing the cap (door).

When looking into self-ligating appliances, you’ll see many promotional posts emphasizing their advantages. One of them is the claim that they shorten orthodontic treatment time. Traditional appliances, which require each unit to be tied with wire, have greater friction between the bracket and the wire, which interferes with tooth movement and makes treatment take longer. The claim is that self-ligating appliances have less friction, so teeth align more quickly. For people planning orthodontic treatment, this would naturally sound appealing.

However, unfortunately, according to the literature, the claim that self-ligating appliances and wires have lower friction is only a result under specific laboratory conditions, not under actual clinical conditions (in vivo). Therefore, to be conservative, it is more accurate to understand self-ligating appliances as having the advantage of reducing the time needed to insert and remove the wire in the clinic, but not reducing the overall orthodontic treatment period.

| Clippy C (Tomy, Japan) | Damon Clear (Ormco, USA) | Clarity Ultra SL (3M, USA) |

The photos above show representative types of self-ligating appliances. If you look more closely, self-ligating appliances are further divided into passive types (such as Damon Clear and Clarity Ultra SL) and active types (such as Clippy C), and even within passive types, there are differences in the width of the cap (door) that fixes the bracket to the wire, so the types and shapes of appliances vary widely.

Clippy C has elastic tension in the cap, so even when a wire adjusted for fine tooth angle or position is inserted during the finishing stage of orthodontic treatment, the elastic cap closes and presses the wire firmly, which makes it advantageous during the finishing stage.

On the other hand, brackets such as Damon Clear and Clarity Ultra are passive types in which the cap (door) does not press on the wire even when the wire is inserted into the bracket. Since there is no pressing force between the bracket and the wire, friction is also low, which is advantageous when aligning teeth in the early stage of treatment. However, as treatment progresses and thicker wires are inserted, if the teeth are not perfectly aligned, the cap (door) may not close, so technical skill is required.

At Daechi-dong Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic,

we use 3M’s Clarity Ultra and Tomy’s Clippy C 2G brackets.

The reason Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic mainly uses self-ligating appliances as orthodontic devices is that by reducing the chair time needed to connect the bracket to the wire, we can devote that time to focusing more on the patient’s treatment. In particular, the 3M Clarity Ultra SL bracket can be said to be a premium ceramic bracket that combines the strengths of Clippy C and Damon Clear.

Since Damon Clear, which is also a passive type, has a narrow cap (door), it cannot hold the wire sufficiently, which limits its ability to improve tooth rotation, and because it has no wing structure, it is difficult to attach elastics to the bracket during orthodontic treatment. On the other hand, the Clippy C bracket has a metal cap (door), so its aesthetics may be somewhat less appealing. The bracket that compensates for these shortcomings is Clarity Ultra SL.

Since Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic is located right in the middle of Daechi-dong, many mothers who come for orthodontic consultations for their children say they would prefer the children’s braces to be as inconspicuous as possible, and that they do not want discomfort from the appliance to cause pain or interfere with their children’s studies. (As one of the mothers in Daechi-dong myself, I fully understand the feeling of wanting treatment that interferes as little as possible with a child’s studies...)

Compared with other ceramic self-ligating appliances, the Clarity Ultra SL bracket has a ceramic door as well, making it highly aesthetic, and because it is smaller in volume than ceramic brackets from other companies, it has the advantage of making the mouth look less protruded even after the appliance is attached. In addition, the edges of the appliance are rounded, so there is less chance of pain or mouth ulcers caused by the appliance. Therefore, it also has the advantage that children can more easily adapt when they first get their orthodontic appliance.

In addition, the Clarity Ultra bracket has a fracture line on the base surface of the appliance, so when the appliance is removed after orthodontic treatment is completed, it can be detached easily without damaging the tooth surface.

"Please try rubbing the dental model!"

The magic whereby 99% of parents who touch the Clarity Ultra bracket model choose Clarity Ultra!

Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic is a member of the Clarity Society,

and uses only genuine Clarity Ultra SL products.

Clarity Ultra SL Genuine Product Certificate

Orthodontic treatment at Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic includes the precision diagnosis fee, monthly fee, and other costs (excluding retainer fees), so you do not need to worry about additional expenses. In addition, because general dentistry is available in the same clinic, all necessary treatments for orthodontics, such as extractions and cavity treatment, can be done in one place, and installment payment plans are available to reduce the burden of paying a large amount at once, making it even more attractive.

Director Yoon Jeong-won, who is in charge of the orthodontics department, has focused exclusively on orthodontics for more than 16 years of clinical experience and has extensive experience with many high-difficulty cases. Therefore, various orthodontic cases such as malocclusion, protruding mouth, and underbite can be treated effectively.

If you visit Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic specialty clinic in Daechi-dong, you can accurately understand your current condition through a simple oral examination at no additional cost, and you can also hear explanations about various orthodontic devices during orthodontic consultations, so please feel free to contact us for a consultation.

Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic has all the latest equipment needed for orthodontic treatment, including the 3D oral scanner iTero Lumina, growth plate testing, and before-and-after treatment simulations using the Morpheus facial scanner, allowing for more precise and systematic orthodontic treatment.

Many people considering orthodontic treatment because of protruding mouth, crowded teeth, malocclusion, underbite, and similar concerns have likely already gathered a lot of information through searching. Even so, comparing the devices in person and hearing detailed explanations can be a great help in making a decision.

During the consultation, you can compare various devices such as Clarity, Clippy C, and Invisalign with your own eyes and hear detailed explanations of their pros and cons, so we encourage you to call or visit for a consultation without hesitation.

Yeonse Jeongwon Dental Clinic is close to Samseong Station, Hakyeoul Station, Daechi Station, and Hanti Station, making it very convenient for patients coming from Samseong-dong, Daechi-dong, and Gaepo-dong.