I need input from those wearing ceramics!!

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#16 Post by **celiviel** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:27 pm

I have ceramics on top and I eat all the horrible stain-y foods. Indian curry, mustard, ketchup, coffee, tea...these are all staples in my diet.

That said, after over two months, my brackets are still tooth-colored. The ligs do stain--the clear ones I had put on first turned a disgusting neon yellow in about two weeks--but like everyone says, you do get them changed frequently and some colors resist staining better than others.

Right now I have a light blue color and it's resisted staining very well. They've faded slightly and taken on a slightly greenish tinge after 2.5 weeks, but it's not a nasty color at all.

You might want to ask what brand of ceramics your ortho uses. I have Mystique, and I'm very happy with my choice so far. The only downside I've discovered is that because of the size of the brackets, it takes more force to stretch the ligs over them, and it hurts when they change the ligs, whereas the ligs seem to go on the metal ones much easier. I don't know if that's a common experience, or if the people in my ortho's office just have bad technique!

#17 Post by **KDangel18** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:18 pm

I have clarity brackets on top with pearl colored ligs and metal on the bottom. I've been braced for a lil over 2 weeks and have had no problems with my ligs changing colors. I just remember to brush or at least rinse my mouth out as soon as I finish eating.
Hope this helps...and good luck!

#18 Post by **spragers** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:22 pm

In the 2+ years I was braced, my ceramic brackets never stained. The clear ligs always turned that funky neon green color by the time the next adjustment rolled around

I had some people take nearly two years before they noticed I even *had* braces LOL.

You might also read that ceramic brackets are supposedly harder to remove: not true. The 12 I had all popped off in a span of about 1 minute.

#19 Post by **Lala7603** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:29 pm

ok well i had my clarity 3m ceramics for 11 months...wow...got them off 1 and a half years ago! ok so anyway they were the best option for me. I didnt get full ceramics, just upper front 6. The brackets themselves do not stain, it is the ligatures around them that can stain. I really just found that mustard stained them really bad....but most ortho's will let u go in and get them changed between appointments. My ortho eventually got stain resistant ligs and they were awesome!....loved them.

They were a little bigger than the silver brackets, but if u didnt have metal brackets b4....i wouldnt be thinking...wow those silver brackets would have been smaller....cuz u really cant conmapre. kinda get what im sayen???

They did hurt like h*ll to get off. The silver brackets came off just like that.....but i had to clench and brace myself. Those things shattered and flew across the room...NO LIE! but i only had 6 of them. My ortho actually said thats one of the reasons he only puts ceramics on 6 teeth, they are hard to get off.

click on my little www to see pictures of me with my braces...and u can look at my before and after pictures if u want.

Just make sure that your ortho will do the best job with the ceramics...if they are not wanting to put them on you, they might not be able to use them well. SO i would be careful of that ya know.

If i were to do it all over again, i would more than likely just go with all metal just because i dont have any major things going on....like senior pictures. BUT...at the time....they were the best choice for me.

Just weight your options....u want having braces to be a happy experience....if there is such a term..so go with what you are comfortable with ok!

SMIles
Lala