Metal vs ceramic

[Stef]

Soooo I'm sure this has been asked 1000 x but I wanted some opinions from people that are active.

Metal vs ceramic...

Brace day is in 11 days and I've never considered ceramic just because I'm so excited to be getting braces I don't feel the need to hide them. I'm already excited about showing off hot pink and turquoise bands. That being said, is the only reason you went ceramic is to hide them more? Are there other reasons? I just wanted to ask before I went full metal.

[PaisleyGrrl81]

I went full metal and I don't regret it for a minute! Love the way it looks and feels, love the way the ligs look on it, etc. The people who went ceramic will tell you it's the only way to go. As I'm sure the people who went full metal will tell you the same for metal. I have a coworker who went ceramic and said a bracket chipped and cut up the inside of her mouth (not sure why she didn't get it replaced right away... I think her ortho was located far). Another who went ceramic and said it hurt like a mother to get them taken off. Plus, they are clearly bulkier and people from afar don't really know what to make of your mouth until they are right up in your face. Whereas with metal, it's like "oh, braces -- moving on." I wouldn't change my decision. And wish you the best of luck with whatever you pick!

[starfish88]

I went ceramic - they are less obvious but by no means invisible! Also they are more obvious in the beginning when the teeth are uneven (there is a reason all the people in the adverts look like they are almost done!) ood luck with whichever you choose!

[mapleleafman888]

Well I have clear on top and metal on the bottom so I can offer you both worlds lol. If I were to go again for braces I'd go all metal for a couple reasons. For one, at first I was so concerned about the awkwardness of being an adult with braces that I was willing to pay extra money ($$$) for the clear so no one would see them(they notice anyway). Two, some people notice my braces and comment about how I only have braces on the bottom and a retainer on top, to which I explain that the top is braces too. The clear brackets just look like gobs of stuff or deformed teeth to me now.

Anyway, hope this helps, I'm super sleepy right now and am typing from my phone or else I'd try to explain better. Haha.

[samoorelaw]

I'm clear on top and metal on bottom. I don't regret the ceramic at all: I love them. I like how you can't even see them in pictures, and I don't care what other people think. I got the clear braces for me, they are more attractive, and they don't hurt to be taken off (I had 4 clear ones removed on my bottom teeth and they didn't hurt: I had them replaced with metal so they could do double power chains on them). So it's not true that all of us who went ceramic will tell you it's the only way to go, as the poster indicated above.

[ljms]

I have ceramic on top and, when I get braces on the bottom sometime in January, they'll be metal.

I choose ceramic because they aren't that noticeable. But, I have Damon's so there are no ligs. If I had regular braces, I probably would have gone with metal. Here's why.

Ceramic braces don't stain. At least they don't stain any worse than teeth stain. But ligs do. So what's the point of clear brackets if your ligs are stained brown from coffee, red from wine, or yellow from curry?

My 2 cents...

[Henrietta]

I went for the ceramic ones simply because they are less visible. I am shy and hate being stared at hence the least visible option.

[Gypsyphd]

I have to disagree in that we will all tell you that ceramics is the way to go. I have had ceramic on top and metal on bottom and I would never think of switching to full metal, but I understand that some people are not worried about having braces as much. Are they less visible? Yes and I in no way find them to be anymore bulky than the metal on bottom. I teach and not one of my students has even noticed that I am wearing braces. I also watched them being taken off a patient at my last visit and it did not seem bad and her teeth looked great after. It's all a matter of preference and I was simply going for the less visible option on top.

[NeilH]

I have all metal and I am delighted with the choice. I'm not trying to hide the fact I have braces and have been reassured by my Ortho that metal brackets offer the best possible treatment. My reasons for choosing metal over clear are:

Once you add metal arch wires, springs etc. the clear ones don't look quite so invisible
Modules (ligs / elastics) do stain over time and this is far less noticeable on metal brackets
Clear brackets look great on models with perfect white teeth, maybe less good on ordinary folk?
They are usually more expensive
If I'm paying this much money for braces, I at least want to see them!

In all honesty, almost six months into treatment, I don't regret going for metal brackets for one minute. I've had no negative reactions from anyone, in fact, quite the opposite. Good luck.

[mmkay]

Mine are coming on soon and still in 2 minds about it, but everytime I think of it come to the same conclusion...metal.

Metal = look dreadful
Ceramic = look weird, especially if you get staining, then manky also

people from afar don't really know what to make of your mouth until they are right up in your face. Whereas with metal, it's like "oh, braces -- moving on."

That sums up my thoughts. A bit like how people pay more attention to a bad wig than a shaved head (on a guy, anyway).

[JeniK]

When I decided to get braces....I figured I would get metal. I have to admit..I did not do much research on braces before I decided "now was the time". When I went in for my consultation , my ortho said" most adults want clear." Then he showed the model of regular and the clear. I liked the look of the clear...asked the price..he said "for you..there is no charge." I have no idea if that is normal..or not.
Now I have the clear on top and metal on the bottom. He did tell me he suggested the metal on the bottom , because my top teeth had a chance of hitting the brackets on the bottom..and ran the risk of chipping a tooth. ( So far..nothing even close to doing that.) I am good with the combination. IF there was a charge for the clear..I would have metal top and bottom..and been just as happy.
I do wish I was seeing more movement. But I feel it is my teeth..and not the braces.

[kathydell]

Great question. I have ceramic upper & lower. I did it because I have to speak to groups for work a lot. A couple of thoughts. I absolutely believe my ceramics are less comfortable than the metals. I think because they are "sharper" if that makes sense. Keep in mind, I've never worn metals. It's just my impression. I am about 7 months into treatment and I have never gotten over the feeling of having a mouth full of marbles all the time. On the positive side, they are definitely more descrete. So much so, I occassionally get annoyed that most people don't even notice I have them. I figure I'm going through all of this, someone should at least notice LOL. I have no problems with staining. It's not the ceramic brackets that stain, it's the ligs. I am just a bit more careful and eat the bad foods during the week I'm getting them changed. No issues with coffee or spaghetti sauce or any of that. I save the red wine & curry for adjustmet week. One thing I would highly recommend is asking your ortho about damage when your upper teeth hit the lower brackets. Mine would only do ceramic lowers if I agreed to wear bumpers wherever and whenever the top teeth will bump into the bottom brackets. After seeing them, I totally agreed. They are little cushions that go on the top of your lower brackets. They hook on with a little rubber band that looks just like a lig. Really discrete and really work. I only had to wear them for the first couple of months while everything was everywhere. They do stain very quickly with coffee (and I would guess tea, red wine, etc.) so I just asked for a bunch of extras and changed them myself with tweezers whenever I wanted to. I also throw them on again for the first day or two after an adjustment. It just makes the top hurt a tiny bit less when the teeth come together.

[MrsCharisma]

I've been an adult in braces twice now.

The first time - all metal. No problems at all, yes they are more noticeable. This was a bout 12-14 years ago.

This time, ceramic on top, metal on bottom. Metal brackets are MUCH smaller now and quite a bit smaller than ceramics. Ceramics are a bit bulkier. My ceramics were really nearly invisible in pictures...until I went up to larger wires. But also, I really don't try to hide my braces and have never had an issue smiling a whole lot

It's important to remember that unless you're really eating highly colored foods ALL the time - the brackets themselves do not stain. The ligs/ties stain. I usually get pearl on top and am good for about 2 weeks. If I'm careful, I don't get staining. BUT I go to the ortho every 4 weeks. So worst case I have a week or so where I stare obsessively at my yellow tinted ligs!

[chichi]

I'm another one with ceramic uppers and metal lowers. I definitely don't regret my decision to spend the money on ceramics. I've become used to the braces, but I still like the fact that I can hide them for the most part. There are 2 reasons I didn't go full ceramic (and sometimes still wonder if I should have...) - 1. My bottom teeth aren't usually visible so I wasn't sure there would be much reason to put ceramics on the bottom and 2. Full ceramics would have pushed the bill over $6000 and somehow I felt that that would be too much, so I saved a couple hundred dollars and only went for ceramic on top.

The part that makes me a little uncomfortable, as someone else mentioned, is that people will notice the bottoms and ask why I didn't get braces on the top too... and when I tell them I did, they invade my personal space so they can see the ceramics.

[msw]

My appointment to get braced up is set for Nov. 7 and I've decided to go with ceramic uppers (Inspire Ice) for purely esthetic reasons. My bottom teeth don't show when I smile or talk, so at this point it isn't worth the extra $250 for ceramic on the bottom teeth as well. (That may change over the next week and a half, though!) I would rather use that $250 to splurge for a new haircut and spray tan to boost my confidence once I become a brace face (again).