Metal Mouth Message Board

With only two more weeks until i get my braces i have decided that i want all ceramic(sapphire) instead of ceramic on the top and metal on the bottom. The only reason i decided to go with metal on the bottom in the first place was because a lot of people said having ceramic on both arches can damage the teeth in the back. Is that really a problem and if so can my Ortho do something about it? Yesterday when i was at work i noticed a women with ceramic braces and they were so unnoticeable, only reason i noticed was because i was really close to her while she was talking to me. I wanted to ask her about them but i decided against it. A few hours before work i was wondering if i should go with all ceramic so seeing that lady was like a sign that i should.
If you have all ceramic i would like to know your experience with them on. Do you regret not getting metal? I'm going to call my Ortho office tomorrow with my FINAL decision. Honestly this time. lol

My ortho (and lots that I've read here) doesn't offer ceramic on bottom.

I think when you first get them, everyone is concerned about how noticeable they might be. But seriously, most of us eventually stop worrying about whether or not they can be seen.

I'd definitely voice your concerns with your ortho.

Good luck!!

I have ceramic on top, metal on bottom. My bottom teeth aren't usually visible and doing metal on the bottom saved me something like $300, which kept me under the $6,000 mark (for some reason, that made me feel better about the money I'm spending...) I don't regret having metal, but I have had a few people ask me if I got braces on my bottom teeth and then I actually had to show them that I have braces on top too.

The risk of damaging your teeth with ceramic on bottom is because your top teeth may bump the bottom brackets. The ceramic is hard enough to chip your teeth if that happens. Orthos usually can get around that by giving you molar buildups or bite turbos so you aren't able to completely close your jaw, which obviously keeps your teeth from bumping the brackets. I'm sure there are still some orthos that won't risk having ceramic brackets on the bottom, but if it's something you really want, express your concerns to your ortho and see what they can do.

When i first had my consultation i decided to go with all ceramic, My Ortho was fine with that. He explained to me that they work just as fast as metal and didn't tell me about the back teeth possibly becoming damaged. It was through my own research that i heard that it could be a problem. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if i can talk to him about it.

MrsCharisma wrote:My ortho (and lots that I've read here) doesn't offer ceramic on bottom.

I think when you first get them, everyone is concerned about how noticeable they might be. But seriously, most of us eventually stop worrying about whether or not they can be seen.

I'd definitely voice your concerns with your ortho.

Good luck!!

At first i thought i'd be comfortable with having metal on the bottom but i'm not so sure now. I'll be 24 a week after i get my braces and would rather not have them be noticeable. I saw some YouTube videos of women with all ceramic braces and its surprising how unnoticeable they are.

Next stop, stressing over the thickness/colour of the archwire, and what foods you eat and when due to ligatures staining :/

Do you have the ceramic?

No I picked all metal, in large part to bypass the 'stressing' issue about aesthetics.

mmkay wrote:No I picked all metal, in large part to bypass the 'stressing' issue about aesthetics.

True. I have complete "clearness" for about 7-10 days them the inevitable happens. I've gone every 4 weeks though for adjustments so rarely it is unbearable.

MrsCharisma wrote:

mmkay wrote:No I picked all metal, in large part to bypass the 'stressing' issue about aesthetics.

True. I have complete "clearness" for about 7-10 days them the inevitable happens. I've gone every 4 weeks though for adjustments so rarely it is unbearable.

Have you tried a different color band?

Tashi23 wrote:

MrsCharisma wrote:

mmkay wrote:No I picked all metal, in large part to bypass the 'stressing' issue about aesthetics.

True. I have complete "clearness" for about 7-10 days them the inevitable happens. I've gone every 4 weeks though for adjustments so rarely it is unbearable.

Have you tried a different color band?

Yes. Sometimes I get smoke (grey).

I've meant to just go with smoke for the rest of my treatment but I forget to say something and she tends to assume clear/pearl. And it isn't worth it once she starts my powerchain! LOL! I always, always forget.

I only have a few more months of treatment left so...I've survived.

Yeah i hear smoke doesn't stain as much and congrats on getting them of soon.

I know you said you had to call and make your decision on Tuesday, but I thought I'd add my experience in case you haven't yet. I have ceramic on both top and bottom. My top teeth hit the brackets a little in the beginning, but after 3-4 months my arches straightened up and it wasn't an issue. (I'm 10 months in) I have always gotten smoke ties and tried to keep staining foods in the back of my mouth. Usually when they take my chains off the ends are yellow, but the middle which is on the front of my mouth is always clear. Most people don't even notice I have braces right away and they're pretty much invisible in photos that aren't super close. I have never regretted my decision!

nellarmonia wrote:I know you said you had to call and make your decision on Tuesday, but I thought I'd add my experience in case you haven't yet. I have ceramic on both top and bottom. My top teeth hit the brackets a little in the beginning, but after 3-4 months my arches straightened up and it wasn't an issue. (I'm 10 months in) I have always gotten smoke ties and tried to keep staining foods in the back of my mouth. Usually when they take my chains off the ends are yellow, but the middle which is on the front of my mouth is always clear. Most people don't even notice I have braces right away and they're pretty much invisible in photos that aren't super close. I have never regretted my decision!

This is exactly what i wanted to hear. I called my Ortho's office Tuesday and changed it to all ceramic. I've done my research and heard good things about the smoke color (are the ties the same as Ligs?) and plan on wearing them throughout my whole journey. I just rather not have my braces be so noticeable and i'm happy you didn't regret them. Thanks

Tashi23 wrote: This is exactly what i wanted to hear. I called my Ortho's office Tuesday and changed it to all ceramic. I've done my research and heard good things about the smoke color (are the ties the same as Ligs?) and plan on wearing them throughout my whole journey. I just rather not have my braces be so noticeable and i'm happy you didn't regret them. Thanks

Woohoo, a decision! When's your brace date?!