Stained Ligatures?

[hdb80]

I'm on day 3 with clear braces and clear ligatures. Was this a mistake? I'm not kidding, they're already "tinged" slightly yellow. I've eaten soft food, avoided food, and brushed immediately after and still, they're tinged yellow. How do I avoid this, if at all? Does a whitening toothpaste help this? Is there options to prevent this in the future? Thanks for the help guys.

[EWUgal15]

Stained ligatures are pretty much just that. There are lots of things people have tried to whiten their ligatures but most of them don't work. I've heard smoke colored ligatures don't stain as easily but I couldn't tell you for sure. I went with metal brackets and I've always gotten fun colors for my ligatures that don't stain. Good luck to you!

[sirwired]

The biggest offenders for stained ligs are:
Coffee (simply because it's so common; a few cups won't hurt)
Red wine and black tea (those tannins stick to ligs like proverbial glue; again, this is a matter of build-up)
Curry (plenty of people have reported that one meal with curry powder and they'll be stained.)

Once stained, they must be replaced, since you can't exactly do the sort of things you would do to lift stains anywhere else. (i.e. harsh cleaners, bleach, etc.)

[littlething]

I have Smoke, and I was told they they don't discolor as easily as the normal clear ones. I have found that they do stain over time (they told me it was inevitable), but it's not too bad - and I drink a lot of coffee and red wine. I feel like I have to do a little more upkeep after the red wine, though - I am constantly swishing. My ortho told me that the worst offenders are mustard and curry. Don't eat too much mustard, but curry definitely stains to the point where if I didn't have to live with it for more than a day or two, it would bother me (I have been eating it the day before my adjustments, lol).

[EWUgal15]

Don't eat too much mustard, but curry definitely stains to the point where if I didn't have to live with it for more than a day or two, it would bother me (I have been eating it the day before my adjustments, lol).

Always the best practice!

[braced43]

I drink my coffee, tea and red wine with a straw. It really saves my ligatures from staining. I have the clear ligs with radiance clear brackets and I haven't had a problem. Hope this helps.