Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi there... new here.

I am 29 years old and after many years of back and forth on whether or not to go through with it, I will finally be getting braces tomorrow!

They will be starting with the top teeth... and I have a very big decision to make...

Metal or Ceramic?!?

I have been leaning towards getting ceramic on top and metal on the bottom teeth... however now that the decision has to finalized I'm getting second thoughts.

I feel that maybe I should just get metal on both.

My worry is that the ceramic is not as strong and will not hold up for the 2 years ahead.

I also worry about staining...

What do I do?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

This topic has been brought up many times. Here's the most recent thread you can look through - it might help you make up your mind:

viewtopic.php?t=35164

Ceramics, from what I hear, are actually very strong. However, I've also heard that depending on what you need done to your teeth, they may not withstand the pressure that metal brackets do. Other more experienced people, please chime in.

As far as staining goes: It's the ligatures that go around the brackets that stain; not the brackets themselves. That said, I would assume that a yellow-ish looking ligature would be more noticeable around a nice, clear bracket than it would around a metal one.

I decided to go with metal basically because ceramics would've cost me $300 more (and I'm a cheapskate). Also, the metal brackets looked a bit smaller, and my overjet is big enough as it is, without adding more height to my lip. Don't wanna look like a Simpsons character... LOL!

Good luck in whatever you decide!

Thanks catgyrl! That link helped... I was having trouble searching for related threads or posts.

I think I will go with the metal. Since it's not really a question of how it looks for me. And the metal will save me $400.

My opinion: Good call! I decided at the last minute (a couple of days before getting braced) that there were other things I could use the $300 on. And I was right! I've become quite the addict when it comes to gadgets and things for my braces (water pik, proxy brushes, etc.) The dental aisle at WalMart gets more action than the makeup section used to!

Plus... I think they look kinda cute! And I NEVER, EVER think I look cute, but I smile more with a mouthful of metal than I ever did before.

Good luck to you!

I recently had to make this decision, also. I had originally thought clear on top, but it would cost $550 more, so I opted for metal. I too thought of a lot of other things I could spend that money on, plus I had heard of the staining issue. Good luck tomorrow!!

Another thing to consider is canker sores. Are you prone to them? Ceramics are supposed to irritate less than the metals and I'm finding that to be true, at least in my case. I was lucky in that my ortho charged the same for either so I went with ceramics. I had canker sores the first few weeks while I adjusted but that was it. It was nothing like when I had a full mouth of metal as a kid and had them constantly. As far as bracket size they are larger than metals but I love them! Most people didn't even notice I had braces until I started getting wild with my lig colors. And that's another plus - you can have fun with them but switch the ligs out to clear if you have a big event and don't want your braces to stand out.

When I had my braces they were metal, and with retainers I have always chose visible ones lol. It does seem like most of the time ceramics cost more, and the cost difference varies. If there is no cost difference, then it's really just a matter of how visible you want them to be. I think the ceramic brackets can be bigger, I'm not sure if that's true in all cases but that's what I hear. If I had to choose I think I'd go with metal again. My ortho charges more for ceramics. I've seen a lot of cool other options, like brackets that are shaped like hearts or stars, gold braces, etc - but I'm 35 and I don't think I want to stand out THAT much lol.

I have my followup for looking into an Inman (a removeable) on Wed so my only choice there is when to start.

I'm opting for metal as I only have to be in braces for a year or so and I didn't want to pay the extra $750 per arch for ceramic. Plus, I figure braces are braces so it doesn't really matter!

Hi Tashacash!

To tell you a bit about me, I am a married 35 year-old professional woman with ceramic braces. I was offered the choice of either metal or ceamic. I chose ceramic because they are less noticeable. You mentioned in your post that you are afraid of staining. The ligatures will stain (as with metal) but the brackets themselves do not.

I had my braces on for 1 month before any of my co-workers notiece I had them. The thing I really like about my ceramics is that they do not show up in photos like the metal ones do. People really have to stare at your mouth to really notice them.

The ceramic brackets do not cut up your mouth or cause canker sores like the metal brackets do. The hooks did cause some irriation, but using wax alleviated that issue.

The brackets are a bit bigger than the metal ones, so your lips will appear fuller. However, it is not overly noticeable.

Overall, I am very please with my choice of ceramic brackets.

Hope this helps!

Best of luck to you!

Thanks everyone for the feedback

Now I'm back to wanting ceramics... Lol

I wish I didn't have a choice. I go in to get them in 2 hours and I'm still stressing over the decision. Ugh.

I will let you all know my decision when i make it I guess. Probably after its done lol.

LOL - either decision is a good one so don't stress over it too much!

I chose ceramics while sitting in the chair to get metal after my orthodontist gave me the choice of wire ties rather than ligs. I have teflon white wire ties and tooth colored arch wire with clear brackets. It took several weeks for most of my co-workers to notice them and some still have not. You might ask about wire ties. The only downside is I shred floss like its going out of style on the ends of the wire ties that he tucked under my archwire. No stains to worry about. I'm getting metal on the bottom and silver ligs. The comfort of the ceramics (social 6) seems to be better than the 4 metal brackets I have in the back. They irritated my cheek more than the clear. Congrats on starting your journey.

I chose metal because they're cheaper, faster, and, like someone mentioned, cute. I want visible retainers at the end too. I'm more confident about smiling with braces on maybe because they make me feel younger.