Teeth whiteness and braces (not sure if this has been asked)

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#1 Post by **MrMonkey** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:22 pm

I'm in my 20s. My teeth are as lovely and white as dehydrated urine.

Ok, slight exaggeration. They're not too bad, but years of black coffee and tea drinking haven't been too kind to their whiteness.

I would prefer to get the "teeth coloured" braces that blend in, but they might look ridiculous on me if my teeth are not as white as the braces.

I was thinking of using the crest strips beforehand, or maybe getting some kind of professional teeth whitening done, so the ceramic / teeth-coloured braces would look ok. Would that be possible?

#2 Post by **Audra** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:04 pm

Whitening your teeth before your braces are put on can affect the ability of the glue to adhere to your teeth, meaning it will be easier for the brackets to pop off.

#3 Post by **browneyedgrl** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:13 am

I totally agree with Audra. I called the orthos office about 3 weeks prior to getting my braces on and I was told not to whiten my teeth beforehand, due to the fact their could be issues with the etch and adhesive.

Good luck!!!

B

#4 Post by **Audra** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:24 am

You could go to your dentist and get a cleaning and polishing done though. That would remove the coffee and tea stains, but would not affect the etching or adhesive.

#5 Post by **mwic1985** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:31 pm

I'm the same really - just gonna hold out and go see the hygienist once my braces are off (they're not even on yet!)

#6 Post by **Audra** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 3:20 pm

mwic1985 wrote:I'm the same really - just gonna hold out and go see the hygienist once my braces are off (they're not even on yet!)

My orthodontist advised that I should get my teeth cleaned every 3 months while braced, but my hygienist said my teeth are fine at 6 month intervals.

I would not recommend waiting until after your braces are off, if you don't even have them yet, and it will be much easier if you get a cleaning before all the metal goes on.

#7 Post by **MrMonkey** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:36 am

Interesting. Thank you for your replies.

Maybe I'll ask my dentist about getting a cleaning and polishing done, like Audra suggested.

#8 Post by **sarahlynn** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:32 am

This is another reason why I was ok with going all metal (which my ortho suggested for my case) - my teeth aren't the whitest either and I didn't want them to look dingy all around.

If you're a coffee and tea drinker you'll probably want to make sure you go for the self-ligating clear brackets (if your ortho uses them) because the ligatures stain easily with stuff like coffee, tea, tomato based foods, etc. I've heard that the stained ligs make teeth look even more yellow. Another reason that I'm happy with the metal is that I don't have to worry about the stained ligs.

#9 Post by **MrMonkey** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:06 am

sarahlynn wrote:This is another reason why I was ok with going all metal (which my ortho suggested for my case) - my teeth aren't the whitest either and I didn't want them to look dingy all around.

If you're a coffee and tea drinker you'll probably want to make sure you go for the self-ligating clear brackets (if your ortho uses them) because the ligatures stain easily with stuff like coffee, tea, tomato based foods, etc. I've heard that the stained ligs make teeth look even more yellow. Another reason that I'm happy with the metal is that I don't have to worry about the stained ligs.

Hmmm. That's food for thought. Thanks Sarahlynn. I've gotta think this through. I am a bit narcisstic and the thought of big metal braces is very offputting.

I wonder would the cleaning and polishing make much, if any, difference to the whiteness of the teeth?

#10 Post by **rolo** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:15 pm

A clean and polish made a huge difference to the whiteness of my teeth - I would have that done and see how you feel about the results, before making any decisions. As my teeth have straightened they have been easier to clean and keep white, even with lower ceramic (sapphire) braces on.

There are two types of clear brackets - ceramic, which are tooth coloured and could stand out if the colour didn't match your teeth. Also have a look at Sapphire braces, they are clear brackets, for example radiance and I think ice brand, they wouldn't stand out on anyone's teeth because they are clear. When I was getting consultations just over a year ago, most orthos offered Radiance brackets, so they are not hard to come by. Sapphire claim to be superior in terms strength to ceramic braces, but all brands probably claim they are the best.

The ligatures could make your teeth look a little dingy if they stain, but mine are fine over 4 to six weeks, and if they do get stained, I don't have to pay to get them replaced, I can usuall get an appointment on the day.

Good luck

#11 Post by **MrMonkey** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:08 am

rolo wrote:A clean and polish made a huge difference to the whiteness of my teeth - I would have that done and see how you feel about the results, before making any decisions. As my teeth have straightened they have been easier to clean and keep white, even with lower ceramic (sapphire) braces on.

There are two types of clear brackets - ceramic, which are tooth coloured and could stand out if the colour didn't match your teeth. Also have a look at Sapphire braces, they are clear brackets, for example radiance and I think ice brand, they wouldn't stand out on anyone's teeth because they are clear. When I was getting consultations just over a year ago, most orthos offered Radiance brackets, so they are not hard to come by. Sapphire claim to be superior in terms strength to ceramic braces, but all brands probably claim they are the best.

The ligatures could make your teeth look a little dingy if they stain, but mine are fine over 4 to six weeks, and if they do get stained, I don't have to pay to get them replaced, I can usuall get an appointment on the day.

Good luck

Really good post, thanks Rolo, you're very helpful, I appreciate it.

One quick question: if the ligatures got stained, do you have to get them replaced, or can you not just clean them somehow?

That sounds like such a noob question, I know.

#12 Post by **MrMonkey** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:30 am

Ok, now I'm a bit confused.

I googled ceramic and sapphire braces.

One of the "pros" of ceramic braces is:

They blend in with most teeth, particularly if they are not perfectly white. They are not very noticeable at a distance or in photos.

The "Clear Sapphire Inspire Braces" have the following con:

If your teeth are less than white, they may tend to stand out (in this case, the Ceramic brackets would be a better choice.

http://www.archwired.com/ceramic_vs_metal_braces.htm

I suppose I should just sit down and talk with my orthodontist about it. The problem is, we've already had a talk about this months ago, and I actually stupidly have forgotten which type of braces he has recommended.

#13 Post by **MrMonkey** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:47 am

#14 Post by **AshJP** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:30 am

MrMonkey wrote:Ok, now I'm a bit confused.

I googled ceramic and sapphire braces.

One of the "pros" of ceramic braces is:

They blend in with most teeth, particularly if they are not perfectly white. They are not very noticeable at a distance or in photos.

The "Clear Sapphire Inspire Braces" have the following con:

If your teeth are less than white, they may tend to stand out (in this case, the Ceramic brackets would be a better choice.

http://www.archwired.com/ceramic_vs_metal_braces.htm

I suppose I should just sit down and talk with my orthodontist about it. The problem is, we've already had a talk about this months ago, and I actually stupidly have forgotten which type of braces he has recommended.

It's no secret that ceramic braces look more aesthetically pleasing on whiter teeth, but i'd take the above advice incase the brackets are more susceptible to popping off.

Thing is, with ceramic braces, they vary in colour. I know the InVu ones are sort of a dingy white/yellow colour so they tend to blend in better with normal coloured teeth, whereas the Mystique brand are an opaque white colour, so would look better with whiter teeth.

As for the sapphire ones and Ice brand, they definitely look superb on white teeth. I think they are sometimes marketed as being 'the only invisible bracket' lol... they are sort of transparent and probably would look weird on teeth that were a little yellow.

#15 Post by **MrMonkey** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:54 pm

AshJP wrote:
MrMonkey wrote:Ok, now I'm a bit confused.

I googled ceramic and sapphire braces.

One of the "pros" of ceramic braces is:

They blend in with most teeth, particularly if they are not perfectly white. They are not very noticeable at a distance or in photos.

The "Clear Sapphire Inspire Braces" have the following con:

If your teeth are less than white, they may tend to stand out (in this case, the Ceramic brackets would be a better choice.

http://www.archwired.com/ceramic_vs_metal_braces.htm

I suppose I should just sit down and talk with my orthodontist about it. The problem is, we've already had a talk about this months ago, and I actually stupidly have forgotten which type of braces he has recommended.

It's no secret that ceramic braces look more aesthetically pleasing on whiter teeth, but i'd take the above advice incase the brackets are more susceptible to popping off.

Thing is, with ceramic braces, they vary in colour. I know the InVu ones are sort of a dingy white/yellow colour so they tend to blend in better with normal coloured teeth, whereas the Mystique brand are an opaque white colour, so would look better with whiter teeth.

As for the sapphire ones and Ice brand, they definitely look superb on white teeth. I think they are sometimes marketed as being 'the only invisible bracket' lol... they are sort of transparent and probably would look weird on teeth that were a little yellow.

Thanks. I'll be avoiding the Ice brand and sapphire ones I think...

Does anyone know if orthodontists provide cleaning and polishing? Or would you have to go to a dentist?