How do you keep ligs from staining?

[BracesChick]

Alright, I give up! There must be a way to prevent ligs from turning nasty yellow within a week. I have tried clear, smoke, and now just got obscure. Does everyone with ceramic braces just drink everything with a straw and never bite into anything? If so, I'm willing to try! But even when I chew, some food still gets into my front teeth.

[Tobilei]

I have never had smoke stain. The only thing I've figured out other than curry that stains badly is turmeric. I admit, that at the end of my adjustment period (usually by about week 5) the back smoke ligs are a little bit yellowed, but it's not noticable until they're taken off (then they look really gross). I eat tomato soup and tomato based sauces on a regular basis, as well as 2 coffee's and often 1 black decaf tea a day, even drink the odd fizzy drink (shh, don't tell anyone!)

I have a grey powerchain that wouldn't stain, but it makes the braces a little more noticable.

Do you have any idea which food it is that's doing it? Be careful, I've been caught out a couple of times with turmeric (I discovered it once in french onion soup mix!)

I don't drink anything with a straw, but I do cut up a lot of my food (not sandwiches or burgers though).

I think I had obscure once a couple of months back. It stained more than my smoke one's have (sorry, I hate to tell you that!)

I do brush with whitening toothpaste, not sure if that makes a difference or not.

[MrsCharisma]

I have ceramics with pearl ligs. They can stain pretty quickly, I'm telling you! I generally just watch what I eat. I avoid heavily colored foods that I think might stain. yeah, it sucks.

Also, I have been unable to bite into food for the most part so I just cut EVERYTHING up. LOL! I'm like a toddler. It seems like my front teeth are only un-sore enough to allow me to bite into things when I'm like 3 days before an adjustment! I cut food up and push it to the back. The ligs on my molars are generally more stained then than the ones on my incisors/canines.

[foysie]

Looked in the mirror yesterday after my coffee (from machine) and the bottom of my teeth looked
really yellow ! Freaked out !!

Did a thorough brushing and clean (waterpik too) and then they came good.

Now I am making sure to swish water around mouth after food and coffee all the time and I hope this will stop the stain grabbing onto the teeth. Cant give up my morning coffee !!

Nice warm water rinse (as my back teeth are sensitive) and check in mirror.

Will be brushing after lunch at work now as don't want plaque building thru day.

I have to keep using wax on my lower front teeth as the braces seem to be digging into my bottom lip when off - frustrating.

[Tobilei]

I feel your pain! If I don't wax 2 of my back brackets they just constantly dig holes in my cheeks. I thought I'd be over this by this far in but apparently I am not that lucky. Hope they stop digging in soon!

[Kezza]

Well I made a real faux pas a week ago...My son passed his driving test so to celebrate we got an Indian Take-out..I had a vegetable korma...I just completely forgot about staining! I had been so good up until that point! My Ligs are a nice yellow...now counting down the days until my first adjustment on the 21st!

[Tobilei]

Well I made a real faux pas a week ago...My son passed his driving test so to celebrate we got an Indian Take-out..I had a vegetable korma...I just completely forgot about staining! I had been so good up until that point! My Ligs are a nice yellow...now counting down the days until my first adjustment on the 21st!

Oh no! I did that about a month ago. Threw a soup mix into the dinner one night and while I was stirring noticed turmeric at the bottom of the ingredients list. I almost didn't eat dinner but went ahead and I was lucky. I'm a bit more careful about checking now (I still get caught out sometimes though!)

[Rusty'sMom]

Red wine and black coffee..my favorites..terrible offenders! Can't wait until these braces come off...June 17th I hope!