Ceramic versus Metal Braces

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#1 Post by **Kaluna** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:51 pm

I'm getting braces put on this Wednesday, January 9th and I cannot decide if I want to have metal braces on the top and bottom or if I want ceramic on top and metal on the bottom. The extra cost for the ceramic brackets is low enough that it's not a determining factor for me.

The main reason I have been considering ceramic uppers is because they are more subtle in appearance - I'm in my mid/upper-20's so something less noticeable would be nice.

I'm weighing that against the clear ligatures that seem to be much harder to keep looking nice. My ortho said that tomato based sauces tend to really stain the clear ligatures; which I haven't seen discussed much on the forum here since curry seems to be the big staining food. But I think I would have a very hard time giving up tomato based sauces (pizza and enchilada sauce are too much a part of my diet).

Also the larger size of the ceramic brackets is slightly deterring but since they're not too visible it's not a huge factor. Also it seems that ceramic brackets are harder to remove at the end of treatment. This worries me a bit; it's probably no big deal but having a bracket ground off sounds like no fun. Also I worry that the ceramic braces can't handle the same amount of force that standard metal ones can - thus delaying treatment time.

I guess it comes down to personal preference... I'm curious to hear if people with ceramic uppers found that it made a big difference (both positive and negative). Did the subtleness make the process easier for you, was it harder to keep them looking nice? What about people who had all metal?

Any suggestions or feedback is GREATLY appreciated! I'm very excited to get my braces on and I'm looking forward to having fun with colors (on the bottoms at the VERY least). Thanks again!

#2 Post by **pearls** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:48 am

Kaluna - I do not have braces myself yet, however when i get them i am just going to choose the metal ones. i am a 20 year old, so not too far off your age, and although i am a bit paranoid looking like a young teen again, i want my teeth to move quickly and efficiently as possible - which i have heard is most available through the metal brackets. i also favour the metal brackets because they are smaller in size than ceramic, and it may not be a big difference but I still think I would personally prefer the smaller brackets.

When i first get my braces i will probably choose subtle ligature colours like silver and grey, however i am almost certain that i will get bored of the greys and will venture out into the colours of red, purple, yellow etc... which kind of defeats the whole purpose of having subtle ceramic brackets if that was the path i were to choose.

hope I helped and good luck with your decision and banding! let us know your choice.

pearls

#3 Post by **brace ventura** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:55 am

I had ceramics as a teenager, and I just got re-braced with metals (I'm 30 now). I'm a performer and sort of a misfit and feel that the metals just fit my personal style a little better.......more flamboyant or "punk rock" or something, for lack of a better word. They also strike me as more "classic," in a sense (since I assume ceramics weren't around in ye olden days), and more obvious to the observer, so there's no doubt what's going on in my mouth, even from a bit of a distance. If I were more conservative in my appearance I'd probably have gone with the ceramics, which looked and worked fine my first go-round, but I'm very happy with my choice. One nice thing with metal brackets is lights glint off them when you smile, which is sort of a cool effect if, like me, you're 1) not particularly self-conscious about your braces, and 2) insufferably vain.

But I actually don't think the difference matters very much or at all to anyone we're interacting with, regardless of age, so the main thing is just to figure out what you're going to feel most comfortable and confident with, what best suits your personality and will best allow you to be yourself. Good luck!!

#4 Post by **pearls** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:48 am

you're right Meryaten. Colours do look good on ceramic braces.. probably more noticable than metal brackets. And yes going with the ceramic does give you the option of being very subtle.. in my case however, money, comfort and time (to a lesser extent) are an issue. and i think i prefer the look of metal anyway. just a personal preferance. i think it's because i've never had braces before, so i want to really "experience" having braces, with the complete obvious look.

#5 Post by **KatieBug** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:36 am

There are also smaller self ligating brackets available. I am going for the InOvation C Ceramic brackets which are very small and discreet. Do your research before you settle!

-KatieBug

#6 Post by **BobKitten** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:00 am

don't know if this will help, but, when i first made my choice, i was absolutely certain i wanted ceramics - definitely no metal in my mouth.........

...however, since i was about a year in, i started thinking that it really wouldn't have made much difference! the ceramics have been very good for me, but i've also been very aware of the staining ligs (i love tea and tomato sauced stuff like pizza and bolognaise etc as well!). i'm also *really* not looking forward to the process of having the brackets removed in the end - metal sound so much easier... and less grindy!!

i'm hoping to get my braces off before my 28th birthday, and have had moments of being quite self-conscious about having them on, at first, i was definitely thinking that lots of people would notice, especially if they were "obvious"... but, looking back, i've not had very much attention about them at all, and i doubt it would have been increased had they been metal. that said, in the early days, when i was extra-shy about them, it was good to have them being so subtle, giving me the chance to reveal them when i felt ready. it depends on how brave you are, i suppose!

best of luck with the bracing up tomorrow, hope your journey is quick - and fun, with the lig colours!

ps... thank you to Meryaten for the ceramic removal reassurance.... it's good to know that there are other stories out there aside from the horror ones!!

#7 Post by **Kaluna** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:21 am

Thanks everyone for your prompt replies! I've definitely been reading about ceramic and metal for some time now and continue to be indecisive.

The theme I'm starting to see is that many people got ceramic to be discreet initially but eventually went with colors (thus removing the subtle aspect of ceramic) to have fun with their braces since other people didn't notice or care about the braces. Although I agree with Meryaten and Pearls; colors on ceramic braces look really cool. But at the same time I think that colors on metal look fun too. Hopefully my liking both will mean that I'm happy with whatever I choose.

#8 Post by **Kaluna** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:42 am

I'm sure I'll keep coming up with additional questions as the day progresses, but here goes...

So how bad is the staining with things like tea, soda, ketchup and tomato sauces? I can handle giving up tea and soda while I have braces, but it will be MUCH harder for me to give up tomato based sauces. Does swishing with water while eating make a difference in reducing the amount of staining on clear ligatures? Or brushing shortly after?

Also... generally, when I smile you can see both my upper and lower teeth, not just the uppers. Does it look too strange to see the ceramic and metal mixed? Most of the photos online of the mixed are just of the teeth and it's hard to get the whole picture of how it looks in reality. What are people's experiences with the mix in this regard?

#9 Post by **TigerLily** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:27 pm

will your ortho do wire ties / metal ligs / wire ligs?

These are all I've had from my ortho with my ceramics so staining has never been a consideration.

#10 Post by **Kaluna** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:36 pm

As I understand, the wire/metal ties/ligs vary depending on the treatment you need. But that would definitely work well to avoid staining.

Does having that much metal around the ceramic brackets make them much more noticeable?

#11 Post by **TigerLily** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:13 pm

my ortho says she uses the wire ties to avoid staining.

I appreciate some ortho may only use in certain cases but my ortho seems to use all the time for a looks reason. Btw I asked her about white / Teflon coated archwird and she said it was available but if wasn't as good as the archwire she used so she didn't use it ( but she really hopes her archwird supplier starts making it in White)

They are very thin wire so they don't show.. Well I think they don't.. I've only been able to compare them with ligs on one person as I haven't seen anyone except her close.

I have metals on my pre molars and one of them is the only time people realise I have braces as it glints in the light, the metal brackets are really shiny compared to the matt colour of my wire ties. N also have a coiled spring which I thought would be noticeable, but again this is matt not shiny.

I am curious on someone posting they had not had ceramics and metals on the same arch ..do you not have any metals on your molars? Also does anyone have ceramics on their pre molars?

#12 Post by **lionfish** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:52 pm

I am curious on someone posting they had not had ceramics and metals on the same arch ..do you not have any metals on your molars? Also does anyone have ceramics on their pre molars?

I had ceramics on my first premolars.

I think the reference to ceramics/metal on one or other arch is mostly in relation to the most visible teeth, that is, the front 6-8. From what I know, most people who have ceramics on these teeth, have metal on the rest (anyone, correct me if I'm wrong).

#13 Post by **BobKitten** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:21 am

BobKitten wrote:don't know if this will help, but, when i first made my choice, i was absolutely certain i wanted ceramics - definitely no metal in my mouth.........

apart from the metal bits fixing the wires in at the end of each line, of course...!

#14 Post by **dubnobass** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:59 am

TigerLily wrote:my ortho says she uses the wire ties to avoid staining.

I appreciate some ortho may only use in certain cases but my ortho seems to use all the time for a looks reason.

My orthodontist most definitely uses wire ties for specific reasons. On thin, flexible archwires, he has used them to move teeth quite quickly with a lot of pressure, and they hurt! On thick archwires, they've been used to stop teeth moving at all. I've had the same wire ties on my upper (heavy steel) archwire for 6 months now (to prevent even the tiniest smidge of post-surgical movement in my upper arch).

#15 Post by **TigerLily** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:48 pm

I haven't had elastic ligs so can't compare. And I am only on my second archwire and all i know about it is it's stronger than the first. But I have never had what I consider pain (having had a removable brace as a child which hurt like hell) just dicomfort for a few days.

I think I am definitely benefiting on a cosmetic level from my ortho having had braces herself v recently. She is a well dressed French lady and i think when she went through the braces process herself later in life, it made her sympathetic to psychological aspects more.