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SunnyO wrote:I have the Ice clear on top and metal on the bottom. A friend of mine (who just had her braces removed) saw me today and said "Your braces look so much better than mine - I should have gotten those." It is definitely a personal preference and I did metal the 1st time I had braces, so I thought I'd do something different this time. I think my clear uppers are smoother on my lips and cheeks than my metals, but they are thicker in profile.
I have ceramics on top but if I had it to all over again (knowing what I do now) I would get metal. The ceramics stick out farther and have cause more irritations than my smaller, lower metals. Modern metal brackets are much smaller and less obtrousive in your mouth than ceramics and even the least noticable ceramics are noticable to others and are much bigger in your mouth. At some point during my treatment I got over caring what other people thought (it's not like they made a big deal over them because hardly anyone said anything to me including people at the highest level of my company including the CEO). The bottom line is that you should go with what you feel comfortable with regardless of what other people think. You will be living with these in your mouth for the next however many months but remember that they are only temporary. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Do you know what brand ceramics you have? I know you mentioned you believe that even the least noticable ceramics are noticable to others and are much bigger in your mouth - - - but from all I have seen I can't say as I agree.
I think a mouth full of metal will be more noticeable ANY day then ceramics and being the extremely vain female that I am - I do care what people think, but more importanly I care about how I look when I look in the mirror. And I just can't envision metal brackets in my mouth vs. the more esthetic Invu ceramics my dentist uses.
But we all have our various preferences - so it is good there are so many to choose from!
Beth - No, the Ice clear brackets are not self ligating. They are made from some sort of sapphire and are very clear, not tooth colored. Most people I have encounted did not notice them until they were quite close to me. I had a teenager tell me she thought I had a retainer because she could only see the wire. And so far (2 weeks) I've been able to keep my clear ligatures stain free. The Waterpik is my new best friend!
Great about keeping your clear ligs clean! And ligs are ligs pretty much right? My ortho will change mine out every 3 weeks - all his adults come in that often who wear ceramics.
I have ceramic uppers and I wish I had all metal. I am a big coffee drinker and the ligs stain FAST! They do seem bulkier than my metal lowers and make my lips stick out quite a bit too. More so on me than on most people, I think. I really feel that the metal brackets would be less noticeable than these big yellow-looking brackets with my big fat upper lip:) Also, this sounds strange, but ppl never seem to know what my braces are. Lots of ppl have never seen the ceramics so they refer to them as a "retainer thing". It's just annoying. THe ceramics do not hide the fact that you have braces. My neighbor noticed mine when I drove by her house and she was in her yard!
When I first got my braces, I dreaded seeing ppl for the first time. I knew that they noticed, but they didn't want to say anything, so I wondered if I should just mention it and get it over with. It was just awkward and I got tired of talking about it. I have a friend who recently got braces and she sent an email with an attached picture, letting everyone know that she got braces, why, and how long she expected to wear them. I thought that was such a good idea, because I got so tired of those first face-to-face encounters - wondering if I should bring it up and then answering the same questions from everyone.
I guess I got off topic, and a little whiny! Sorry. Overall, braces have been fine and I am so glad I did it.
have sapphire brackets similar to the Ice ones and people have also commented on how I would "wear my retainers to a club or out to a fancy dinner." Then I'd show them my ice clear braces. My ortho also has his clear patients come in every 3 weeks versus 4 weeks with the metals. He doesn't like ugly stained ligs and tells me to come in anytime if they're really gross.
Upper and lower 1st premolars extracted
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
[quote="wirednkc"]I have ceramic uppers and I wish I had all metal. I am a big coffee drinker and the ligs stain FAST! They do seem bulkier than my metal lowers and make my lips stick out quite a bit too. More so on me than on most people, I think. I really feel that the metal brackets would be less noticeable than these big yellow-looking brackets with my big fat upper lip:)
Wow that is such ashame that you are so unhappy with your ceramics. Seems so many people are thrilled with them and don't mention them being yellow - though I'm sure it is your ligs that are staining from the coffee and not the ceramics, as apparently they are not prone to staining.
I wonder what brand of bracket you have? That could have something to do with it - there is a large variety of manufacturers all offering different sizes as far as profile is concerned, color of ceramic varieties as well as ligating and self ligating where ligs are not necessary. Regardless your situation does not seem fair - I'd be upset if I were you too!
That said - I'm pretty confident with the manufacturer of the ceramics my ortho uses and think I will be happy with them.
Sorry again for your disappointment.
Also, this sounds strange, but ppl never seem to know what my braces are. Lots of ppl have never seen the ceramics so they refer to them as a "retainer thing". It's just annoying. THe ceramics do not hide the fact that you have braces. My neighbor noticed mine when I drove by her house and she was in her yard!
>When I first got my braces, I dreaded seeing ppl for the first time. I knew that they noticed, but they didn't want to say anything, so I wondered if I should just mention it and get it over with. It was just awkward and I got tired of talking about it.
Not sure where you live but around my area of the USA braces on adults are SO common, IF people even noticed - they would never think to mention it because THEY would seem weird making conversation about something so commonplace as braces.
I feel for you and can't imagine dealing with people who act like they aren't from this century when seeing and adult with braces on!
Regardless I'm glad you are happy you did it - you'll never have regrets and that matters most.
About 2 months ago I got ceramics on my front 6 teeth. I went back and forth trying to decide, mainly because I read so many opinions! But I finally decided "if I gotta wear these things for 2.5 yrs then I'm getting what *I* want." And I love them I don't know if they are "bigger" because I have nothing to compare them to. Either way you gotta get used to wearing braces and thats gonna be the biggest hurdle. I haven't had any real trouble with lip irritation and I haven't had to wear much wax except on the molar brackets in the back (which are metal). Also, mine don't stain because I wear silver/gray ligs. I figured that the archwire is already silver so it wouldn't be much more noticeable to have a teeny gray line around each bracket. Some people notice I have them and some don't. I think I made the right decision for myself (and my ortho only charged $100 more than for all metal).
[quote="loyaboya"]About 2 months ago I got ceramics on my front 6 teeth. I went back and forth trying to decide, mainly because I read so many opinions! But I finally decided "if I gotta wear these things for 2.5 yrs then I'm getting what *I* want." And I love them I don't know if they are "bigger" because I have nothing to compare them to. Either way you gotta get used to wearing braces and thats gonna be the biggest hurdle. I haven't had any real trouble with lip irritation and I haven't had to wear much wax except on the molar brackets in the back (which are metal). Also, mine don't stain because I wear silver/gray ligs. I figured that the archwire is already silver so it wouldn't be much more noticeable to have a teeny gray line around each bracket. Some people notice I have them and some don't. I think I made the right decision for myself (and my ortho only charged $100 more than for all metal).
Hi - nice to hear someone is happy with their ceramics - I do read that a lot of people are, but others are not as happy for various reasons. I am going with ceramics - but worry about the ligs because I really enjoy my coffee (with milk) and tomato sauce. But I will cross that bridge when I get to it - I do think I will try silver/gray ligs from the beginning though.
I go for my spacers Thurs night - hopefully they don't cause too much pain.
I can compare. I had ceramics on my top arch that would not stay on due to my tooth enamel. While my ortho says this is a rarity, I am not the first that had that problem. After too many loose brackets, my love of the ceramics was gone and my ortho agreed to switch to all metal. I've had all metal for seven months without a loose bracket. With ceramics I couldn't have gone seven weeks.
I find the metal much smaller and more comfortable than the ceramics. If they are more noticeable, so what? No one seems to care. The ceramics are visible but more people stare at them trying to figure out what's in your teeth. With the metal, its apparent that I have braces.
One of my few regrets with the brace experience was the lack of success I had with ceramics.
Mike
I wore braces (this time) for 1294 days or 3 years, 6 months and 17 days.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
iBorg wrote:I can compare. I had ceramics on my top arch that would not stay on due to my tooth enamel.
One of my few regrets with the brace experience was the lack of success I had with ceramics. Mike
What brand/manufacturer were your ceramics and are your metals? There are a variety of brands of ceramics that will change the color, size and probably the durability as well - just wondering which your ortho used? Same with the metals.
Dr. P uses In-Ovation R metal brackets and Mystique clear.
I would recommend that you be more concerned with the skill of your ortho office rather than the brand of the brackets on your teeth. I compare it to an artist. I could have a full set of paints and not be able to produce anywhere near the art of Shakespeare. What bad analogy.
Mike
I wore braces (this time) for 1294 days or 3 years, 6 months and 17 days.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
[quote="iBorg"]
I would recommend that you be more concerned with the skill of your ortho office rather than the brand of the brackets on your teeth. I compare it to an artist. I could have a full set of paints and not be able to produce anywhere near the art of Shakespeare. What bad analogy.
I've heard a # of folks say that and while I think in theory this is an accurate statement - for some of us we want the best of both worlds. A skilled ortho using the bracket system we are comfortable with both in appearance and strength.
I have a clear power chain from Canines back and white ligs on the front four teeth. I noticed the clear power chain has gone a little bit yellow (at the three week mark), where as the white ligs are still white. No coffee, but I do drink a bit of tea. My ortho doesn't offer self-ligatating ceramics, and it's on the bottom so I wasn't too fussed. If you could get self-ligating ceramics, there would be no ligs at all to stain.
Good luck
Ps my brackets are Radiance sapphire, they are clear, Inspire ice is made of the same material, but smaller. On the promotion leaflets, Radiance feel this offers the ortho easier rotation of teeth.
But I finally decided "if I gotta wear these things for 2.5 yrs then I'm getting what *I* want." And I love them 
