Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi there! Thanks for stoppin in!

I'm about to have braces put on next week and I really would like to get ceramics on the top. During the consult the orthodontist said that he could do either one (no extra charge for the ceramics), but told me that ceramics will stain and look pretty bad. It disappointed and worried me to hear this. All of the sites I've gone to says they don't stain but that could just be marketing propaganda. I'm 30 years old, single and really would like to have the less noticeable ceramics, but if they are going to end up looking bad after a short time that would be horrible too! The orthodontist also told me that only 10 of his clients have the ceramics. I think he is talking them out of getting them.

I need input from those with ceramics that have had them for a while so I can make an informed decision!!!

Hi and congrats on ur decision in getting braces! I got mine when I was 29yo and has had the ceramic braces for 1.5 years now. Actually the ceramic brackets does NOT stain, it is the rubber bands that holds the archwire that stains--but the ortho changes the rubber bands every visit. To be honest, i'm not a very compliant patient, i drink coffee and tea everyday-- so the rubber band usually turns "yellow" in color but they are replaced every 6 weeks. I really didn't mind it and don't think they look terrible No one ever makes any comments except-- "are you wearing braces?" since the ceramics one are pretty invisible on me-- my original teeth aren't super white...so they seem to blend in pretty well:) Also, i've never had problems with the ceramics brackets falling off or chipping... so, in conclusion -- I really liked them and never regreted having the ceramics one vs. the metal Good luck in your decision!
Elaine;)

hey, i replied to your message in the Ask the Doc...but again:

I currently have light silver ligs. They stain less than the clear ones but are a tiny bit more noticeable (though I don't really see the difference). I hear smoke colored ligs don't stain much either.

As for the staining...it really does depend what you eat. I don't eat a lot of really strong colored food so my ligs don't stain that much...I drink plenty of coffee though. My ortho has been really suprised with how little I stain...it's mostly a really light, transparent yellowish color...nothing too visible...people won't notice them.

Good luck!!! And congrats on taking the step to getting braces!

I have ceramics and love them. Ditto the poster above: ceramic brackets do NOT stain - the replaceable ligs stain (and they usually have to be replaced at least every month).

I have found the staining is only really bad with things like curry and tomato sauce. I don't drink much coffee, and tea doesn't seem too bad. I made more of an effort in the first months not getting anything on my brackets, but more recently I didn't bother so much, and they went much yellower.

I disliked the yellowness so much that I switched to pink ligs this week. However: I have to say that the yellow wasn't that bad. Friends really didn't seem to notice/care, it was more my own paranoia. If you click my signature link you can see on page three photos which show the difference between:

- bracket with no lig
- bracket with yellowed clear lig
- bracket with pink lig

I still don't understand the argument that metal is better than ceramic because ceramic "stains". It's not like you have to have clear ligs with ceramic, and it's not like metal ever looks less visible, no matter what colours you choose. Metal is always going to look far more obvious than ceramic (not that this matters frankly, but if you're concerned about photos, choose ceramic).

The weirdest thing I saw in my ortho's office was a "gold" coloured lig - it was only vaguely metallic, and looked more a dull yellowy-orangey-brown colour. I shudder to think what that would look like in anyone's mouth - even the ortho said he really didn't recommend it.

Also I was discussing colours with him, and he advised against pale blue for staining reasons.

Greenidgurl wrote:The orthodontist also told me that only 10 of his clients have the ceramics. I think he is talking them out of getting them.

This makes me wonder if the ortho knows how to use them well...

i had 6 consults and every orthodontist i saw said that there is no difference in how well they work. the technology is the same, u glue the brackets on and shove in archwire.
it kind of annoys me when i hear of orthos trying to bully their patients into getting metallics (and even lying!). should be your choice especially if you're willing to pay the extra money!

Hi there. I've had my braces for about 1 month now and I have the ceramic on top and metal on the bottom. I definitely am glad I have the ceramic on top. People say they are not noticable at all.

As for the staining, I am a Diet Dr. Pepper addict and I have gone through a lot of it in the last month with very minimal staining. I do see a yellowish or very faint tan color on my ligs but not very noticeable at all. My ortho used glow in the dark ligs which are tooth colored. She said they do not stain as much as clear or white. She said you would have to try really hard to get them to glow in the dark which I haven't tried.

I highly recommend the ceramics. I also don't think they are as sharp as the metal ones.

Good luck!

ditto to all above. i love my clear braces.

it sounds like your ortho is uncomfortable with them, though. listening to him/her is a good idea always, but i just dont see the big deal with the ceramics.

Leslie022 wrote:

Greenidgurl wrote:The orthodontist also told me that only 10 of his clients have the ceramics. I think he is talking them out of getting them.

This makes me wonder if the ortho knows how to use them well...

Or maybe they're more expensive?

I also love my ceramics and my ortho said they work the same. He said they do not use them on everyone, meaning some cases are just too severe so metal would stand up to the force they would need to put on the teeth.
As for staining, I am an iced tea addict and I see only slight staining and it is not noticable, in fact it does not make my braces show up any more or less. I am glad I made this choice.
You should get a consult with a different ortho who is willing to let you make your choice on the type of braces you want. I, myself, would feel uncomfortable if my ortho sat there and started listing the reasons they are bad.
Everyone has their reasons they do or do not like their ceramics. It is all about how you feel with them. I can tell you from my experience they are slightly bigger but smoother and I had no cuts when they went on, it seemed the smoothness made for an easier transition period.
Good luck with whatever you choose. If you need any help, we are all here.

Those addicted to soft drinks - ice tea, whatever - use a straw and you won't get any staining at all. Particularly if you "swill" with plain water after your drink.

I did this even with hot drinks (cocoa, tea) when I first got my braces on, and I was able to keep the ligs flawless. It's only more recently when I just can't be bothered that I've gone for coloured ligs.

I think it's also getting used to my braces - I'm quite proud of the fact I got this treatment, I genuinely don't care if people notice I'm wearing them. It's their problem if they can't deal with it

go with ceramics if you feel much confortable!!!

I love my ceramics and I would never mut metal...I am too self-conciues

I have ceramics on top and I eat all the horrible stain-y foods. Indian curry, mustard, ketchup, coffee, tea...these are all staples in my diet.

That said, after over two months, my brackets are still tooth-colored. The ligs do stain--the clear ones I had put on first turned a disgusting neon yellow in about two weeks--but like everyone says, you do get them changed frequently and some colors resist staining better than others.

Right now I have a light blue color and it's resisted staining very well. They've faded slightly and taken on a slightly greenish tinge after 2.5 weeks, but it's not a nasty color at all.

You might want to ask what brand of ceramics your ortho uses. I have Mystique, and I'm very happy with my choice so far. The only downside I've discovered is that because of the size of the brackets, it takes more force to stretch the ligs over them, and it hurts when they change the ligs, whereas the ligs seem to go on the metal ones much easier. I don't know if that's a common experience, or if the people in my ortho's office just have bad technique!

I have clarity brackets on top with pearl colored ligs and metal on the bottom. I've been braced for a lil over 2 weeks and have had no problems with my ligs changing colors. I just remember to brush or at least rinse my mouth out as soon as I finish eating.
Hope this helps...and good luck!

In the 2+ years I was braced, my ceramic brackets never stained. The clear ligs always turned that funky neon green color by the time the next adjustment rolled around I had some people take nearly two years before they noticed I even *had* braces LOL.

You might also read that ceramic brackets are supposedly harder to remove: not true. The 12 I had all popped off in a span of about 1 minute.