Anyone has 'tooth coloured' Ligs on ceramics?

[lisa78]

Sooooo fed up. You may have seen me mention I hate my new ceramic brackets because the ligs look yellowy? After wearing them for 3 days and thinking these ligs can't be clear I asked my dentist today only to be told I have 'tooth coloured' ligs as they hold their colour better than clear. I told him I thought they made my brackets look yellow & he said it's the best I'm going to get I checked with the dental assistant and she said they don't do 'clear' Anyone else had tooth coloured ligs? I'm wondering if I should try and buy some clear ones online & ask him to put them on? Just dunno where to begin.

[tackybrackets]

the ceramic ligs will really be the best for you in the long run. I promise you the clear ones arent the way to go. THEY WILL STAIN. i know you think your ligs are on the yellow side but they are infinately better than clear. I have ceramic and i drink coffee regularaly and have many colored sauces on pasta and have no issues that ive seen of stains. but i wait to brush teeth after morning coffee and frequently stay on top of brushing after meals (which is a good habit anyway) and I see no stains so far. Now I had gotten a clear power chain and oh boy did that stain! ill be switching colors at my appt this morning. dont get too frustrated about it. (oh and here's a thought, The ceramic may look yellow if you have super white teeth too. They unfortunately dont carry different tooth colored shades in the ligs. just one standard) Wish you luck in your braces adventure.

[TumbleDryLow]

If your ortho has them, try Smoke or Light Gray ligs. No, those aren't clear, but they are discrete colors and are on the blue end of the spectrum so don't look yellow. If you have very white teeth, they may blend better. I used both those colors on my clear sapphire bracket throughout my treatment.

[lisa78]

Thank you. Appreciate your replies. I'm on a massive downer today and just feeling really self conscious about my braces. At 32 years old I didn't expect to have to do this and I know it sounds silly but I feel really embarassed about wearing them. Even talking is taking some adjusting to and I'm constantly feeling like there's something in my mouth and like I want to clean my teeth 24-7. There's just no avoiding it. I've actually spent the majority of the day crying. Dinner was the last straw trying to eat a noodle stir fry on one side of my mouth. PLEASE somebody tell me you become less conscious of wearing them as time passes.


my blog: http://bracketwoman.wordpress.com/
Impacted Right canine tooth. Brace sentence - 6-9 months.
Day one of brackets = 9.9.11

[TumbleDryLow]

I spent 33 months in braces (starting at age 35) and have been out of them for more than a year. The beginning of treatment really sucked but the end is so worth it. I totally know where you are right now. Braces are a big change. One day you have naked teeth and the next day you have braces. No matter how much you mentally prepare, the day-today life with them usually comes as a bit of a shock to most people. So what you are feeling today is completely normal. Braces are simply going to take some getting used to. The adjustment period varies person to person but I promise it really does get better.
I promise:
You will eat and not feel like your entire meal is stuck in your brackets.
You won't feel the need to brush every second of every day.
You won't feel like your braces are huge neon sign.
You will learn to talk normally with braces.
You will smile/talk/laugh and not care you have braces on your teeth.

Hang in there.

[lisa78]

Thank you. It is really good to hear that I will eventually not feel like my braces are a neon sign. You hit the nail on the head there. I really do feel like that now! I Also feel the brackets rubbing when I speak so every conversation I have feels like the brace is talking and not me. Not helpful. My self confidence has definitely taken a knock. How long did it take you to feel comfortable with your braces? I feel like I never will.

[TumbleDryLow]

How long did it take you to feel comfortable with your braces? I feel like I never will.

Everyone is different of course, but I think it only took me about a week or two to no longer be self-conscious. Once my friends and co-workers saw me in them and didn't blink an eyelash, and once I went out to the store and cashier didn't stare at my mouth, I realized that wearing these things was no big deal I was totally fine with them. When I got my braces off some people said they never even realized I had them on. Braces are a MUCH bigger deal to you then to anyone else b/c they are in your mouth and you are dealing with them 24/7. Trust me, no one cares you have them on and most people will forget that you have them.

[lisa78]

Thank you, you've been really helpful and I feel more positive after reading your reply. It;s been less than a week and I'm slowly starting to get used to speaking with them. Hopefully in a weeks time I will be able to smile / laugh without feeling embarassed.

[drgnchsr36]

If your ortho has them, try Smoke or Light Gray ligs. No, those aren't clear, but they are discrete colors and are on the blue end of the spectrum so don't look yellow. If you have very white teeth, they may blend better. I used both those colors on my clear sapphire bracket throughout my treatment.

I concur, those are the best colored ligs I think..

[LittleTurtle]

It will get better over time. Took me about a month to get used to having them on and I am 43. Also for the color of the ligs, ask for obscure, they work well with the color of the ceramics and will be resistant to staining. But you still have to avoid things like curry, mustard, red wine because they will still stain.

[catgyrl]

I agree with LittleTurtle - Obscure is the way to go! Here is a pic of my Obscure powerchain after 2 weeks of ketchup and Pepsi (with a straw):



(Please forgive the yellow-ish stains on my teeth. I haven't had a chance to tackle them with my proxybrush and baking soda yet. The other yellow-looking things are my rubber bands. )

Like LittleTurtle said, they will stain eventually, but are more resistant than, say, clear. I don't have super-white teeth, so they blend in really well with them.

-Cathy