Clear vs Metal Brackets on Bottom Teeth

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#1 Post by **KLC** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:28 am

Hi Everyone!

So I did it... I got my brackets and spacers on a couple of hours ago. All feels ok so far but I am ready for the pain to come, any hour now...

So I went with clear brackets on top and metal on the bottom. The top aren't bad at all, you can barely see them (again, just the brackets now, no wires yet) but the metal on the bottom really stand out and I am one of those people whose bottom teeth you can really see when I talk. I am beginning to regret doing metal on the bottom. I know my ortho recommended it and said they work better than clear on the bottom teeth and are much more durable and less likely to break. I go back next Friday for the wires and am giving myself the week to see if I get used to them. Just wondering if anyone went through the same thing and what did you do? Keep the metal or switch to clear? Any resents?

Thanks so much! I never would have taken this first step without everyone's support on here!!

#2 Post by **NYG2007** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:15 pm

I have clear on the bottom and I like them. People can't even see my bottom teeth so it wouldn't have been a big deal if I had metal. I do however think the ceramic brackets are nicer looking than the metal. It is personal preference. My ortho basically does all metal or all ceramic. If you go for ceramic, only the front six are usually ceramic. I have five in-ovation c ceramic braces in the front and the rest on the sides are metal in-ovation r. I have five instead of six because I am having a lower incisor extracted.

#3 Post by **fumblebee** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:36 pm

I also went with the clear on bottom and the metal brackets on the bottom. I did wish I had put the clear on the bottom as well because the metal ones seemed to irritate my cheeks more but I never swtiched them out.

#4 Post by **Lisa65** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:18 am

It's not so much that metal work better on the bottom. Your ortho probably recommended metal on the bottom both to save you money and because the ceramic brackets are extremely hard (much harder than a tooth), so if you have an overbite where your top teeth are in danger of touching the bottom brackets, you can chip a tooth quite easily.

#5 Post by **pearls** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:34 am

Coming from someone who has metal brackets on top and bottom, I honestly think that the metal brackets will be fine. I too show a lot of my bottom teeth when I talk, and at the start was worried how visible my braces will be. But at the end of the day, braces are braces, and people are going to notice them, no matter what.

As far as you giving it a week until you change your mind, I think you should wait a little bit longer. The difference it makes with having a wire in the brackets, and ligs is, in my opinion, enormous. I remember when I was first braced, and had a look at my braces without wires or ligs, I though they were absolutely hideous. But once the wires went in and the ligs went on, they were SO much better looking, and funnily enough, less visible.

If you decide to keep the metal brackets on and try them out with the wire and ligs, I suggest you get light pink colour of ligs. In my opinion the pink blends in with your gums and lips, and kind of camoflages the brackets - just an idea

Good luck!

#6 Post by **KLC** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:45 am

Thanks so much everyone! I am happy to annouce I woke up this morning, Day 2, expecting for the spacers to be killing me but still no pain! *knock on wood* let's hope it stays that way!

I really appreciate everyone's responses.

Lisa65

ortho probably recommended metal on the bottom both to save you money and because the ceramic brackets are extremely hard (much harder than a tooth)

It's funny, I am having problems remembering now what my ortho said vs what I've read on here... it's all mixing together

But I do remember him saying the metal seem to have a better track record on bottom (smaller) teeth and they would be less bulky, i.e., my lips wouldn't stick out as much. Luckily, though, no mention of cost difference.

Pearls I have a feeling my ortho will probably try and make me wait longer than a week as well. And I am sure you are right, I am sure I will like them better once I have the wires and ligs and not just brackets.

Thanks again everyone! Couldn't have gone through this without you all!!

#7 Post by **Lacey** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:44 pm

I have clear on the top and metal on the bottom. I have never really had a big problem with it. You can see them when I smile but most of the time it's not noticable. I'm glad you are going to give it a chance. Once you get the wire the tops become a little more apparent and you can see that it's not really a big deal.

#8 Post by **purpleteeth** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:57 pm

I have Damon's. My top 6 are half clear, half metal. My bottoms are all metal. I noticed my tops weren't as visible as my bottoms, but now that I have a thicker wire -- you can honestly see everything. My smile has changed since getting braces and my bottom teeth are very visible.

Personally, I don't care about having clear brackets or not. I just thought they would be less visible with the half-clear and they really aren't much anymore... because of the wire.

Have you discussed options about the wire? How visible will it be with the clear brackets? Just curious...

#9 Post by **KLC** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:41 am

Have you discussed options about the wire? How visible will it be with the clear brackets? Just curious...

I have not discussed different options for the wire. To be honest, I didn't know I had options though just yesterday I saw that there are clear wires. When I smile you can see my top teeth but, when I talk, you see pretty much all bottom which is why I have been thinking about getting the bottom changed to clear. I don't think there is much I can do until I get all the wires (and anything else they need to put in) in. It's too bad... I am just starting to get used to what I have and now it's all going to change again on Friday

#10 Post by **Thathrill** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:52 am

I think its a personal preference. My ortho recommended clear(ceramic) on the top and bottom so I went for that. It was a difference of $400 between metal and ceramics so I opted for ceramics. The only thing that I do not like about cermics is the higher chance of a bracket breaking off. In the past 14 months I probably been through 10 brackets. But they were mostly from the top. Plus my teeth are very smooth which doesn't help. When I smile and talk you can only see my top teeth. I like ceramics because people can hardly tell you have them on

#11 Post by **KLC** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:43 pm

Thathrill- I totally agree it's a personal preference. You are lucky you have them on top and bottom. Interesting that you have gone through 10 brackets but mainly on top. I wonder how many people have broken clear brackets on the bottom?

I think it's interesting that every orthodontist has a different way of charging. Thathrill's orthodontist charges an additional $400 for ceramics while mine doesn't have a price difference between metal or clear. Very bizarre!

I really want clear bottoms. I am going to wait and see what happens once the wires go on on Friday and then go from there. I just love the fact that you can barely see the top (which you only see when I smile), kind of feel like it's pointless bc when I talk, all you see is my bottom teeth... and metal

lol!

#12 Post by **Thathrill** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:35 pm

I think I have been through a lot of brackets more so than normal. All of them for random reasons. I lost one the day of my banding. Another eating chicken that was cut into pieces, I lost a couple in my sleep. Just woke up and the bracket was on my tongue. I lost 2 when they tried to band my last molars. they popped right off. I lost 1 biting into chocolate (which was my fault LOL) and another eating a sub sandwich. I even lost one just brushing my teeth and I honestly wasn't pressing hard. Lost another eating a rib that was extremely soft. And of course there were a couple more. LOL The ortho techs tease me all the time but I will say in the last 3-4 months I only broke 1 bracket. Not sure how it broke it was just loose.

#13 Post by **acd** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:12 pm

What I never realized until recently is that no one cares that you have braces other than you; many people have had them and no one looks down on you because you have them no matter how old you are. I was sitting in the Denver airport today and someone gave me a thumbs up and commented that he also had ceramic braces on top and metal on the bottom; I smiled and thanked him for his comment. When I look back at my pre-braces pictures I can't believe the changes that I've seen. At this point (21 months) my biggest regret is that I waited so long. If I had it to do over again I'd probably get all metal, smile and show those metal brackets off proudly because I know that I'm improving myself. Good luck with your treatment.

#14 Post by **BarbieGirl** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:05 pm

I have been braced for two weeks with ceramic on tops and bottoms. After seeing my cousin's metal braces, I realized that the ceramics are chunkier than the metal...my lips stick out further. At times I wished I would have just gone with metal on top and bottom because I am so fearful of them staining and breaking now....I have become a freak about brushing my teeth to keep everything white.

As others have said, it is a personal preference and you will get used to them! I have white ligatures and when I get them changed I will go with either clear or pink as someone recommended on this site. I think the white ligatures are too noticeable!

#15 Post by **KLC** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:02 pm

At times I wished I would have just gone with metal on top and bottom

Isn't it funny how the grass is always greener??? I change my mind every 5 minutes but I also kind of see as, once I go back into the office tomorrow, and everyone pretty much sees the metal on the bottom teeth, the harm will be done and it won't matter any longer

I have to keep remembering what everyone else has said... no one cares more than you personally do!

Barbiegirl, I am curious... I know you think your lips stick out but have others agreed with you (your closest friends who could tell you something like that

)? My ortho did tell me that but I haven't noticed it too too much on my top lip. Maybe once they put the wires in I will notice it more.

Oh the fun we go through to have nice smiles!!