Will I regret metal braces on the top teeth?

[Katzchen]

Awesome, thanks for all the feedback! I'm glad to hear that the ceramic braces aren't a picnic either.

[MrsCharisma]

I had ceramics on top and metal on the bottom for almost 3 years.

In the end, I wished that I'd had metal all over. After I got over the initial "shock" of seeing myself with braces, I realized it really wasn't such a big deal. If I had it to do over again, I'd go with metal all around and save the extra money that the ceramics cost.

I agree with this. I think that people who are going in are worried about them being noticeable. But really that goes away. 1) once you get past the very first wires, the wire is noticeable (unless you get the white coated ones). 2) if you don't get clear/pearl ligs they are noticeable AND if you do get clear/pearl they're going to stain. No matter what. You will have yellowish/greenish/orangish ligs.

[ST24085]

They really aren't much bigger. For how much larger they are, I can't see how they would affect your speech any more than the metals do (I did not notice any issues with my speech at all). If someone wouldn't have told me, I wouldn't have even noticed when feeling the bottom metals with my tongue.

I'd strongly argue, and I'm sure most of the other brace-wearers will agree, that the brackets on the molars will be a much larger aggravation for you than the "larger" ceramic brackets on your front teeth .

And I'll say it again in light of people complaining about stained ligatures, get them to wire tie the brackets with stainless steel ties.

At the end of the day, I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever choice you make!

[samoorelaw]

I had upper jaw surgery but still have ceramic brackets. At no point was I informed by either the surgeon or orthodontist that metal was preferred. So you can have ceramic brackets on top: just wanted to clear that up.

If I were given the choice again, I would have chosen metal for the upper teeth: 1) people still notice the ceramic brackets so how much more disrete they are is debatable; 2) worrying about the staining of the ligs is annoying and lately I've been going with colored ligs anyway due to the staining issue; and 3) the metal brackets are much smaller and are much more comfortable than the ceramic. I guess it depends on what type of brackets you have because my ceramic brackets are significantly larger than the metal, hence why they aren't as comfortable.

If you had asked me 6 months ago about the comfort level of the ceramic v. the metal, I would have told you "no difference." However, ever since my upper jaw was moved forward, I now experience the ceramic brackets rubbing up against my inner lip, something I didn't experience before due to how deficient my upper jaw was, and it's very annoying.

[natashabasha]

I asked for ceramic upper and metal lower braces. However now, I'm thinking of changing to metal fully because of the staining issues

[NeilH]

I went for metal brackets for both upper and lower and haven't regretted it for a second. I've had them for almost a year now and was glad I made this decision.

[catwanabee]

I would go with ceramics especially for adults since metals are noticeable especially during your first few months + makes your teeth look dark in pictures, just my two cents.

[Hash]

I only have mine in 6 weeks but I choose ceramic front 6 top and bottom and very happy that I did. They do feel bulky but can't say more so than the metal I have cause they are at the sides so I would have thought the front would be more rubbing on front inner lips than gums? Hard to decide but I just thought I have them for 2 years so minimal notice god me is better!

[cata]

I have ceramic on top and metal on the bottom and wish I had gotten all metal. Of course, the main reason I chose ceramic on top is that they're less noticeable, but I'm still so self-conscious about my smile that I smile close-mouthed. Yes, they're not as noticeable, but people can still see them. They're bigger than metal and rub the inside of my mouth more than the metal ones on the bottom; I think that's partly why I have a slight lisp now. If I could start over, I'd chose all metal. :)

[Hash]

See I didn't realise they were bigger than metal ones so I have just gotten used to them as they are

[Tlal23]

I have empower like damon braces. Ceramic top metal bottoms.
I'm glad I did that as people say it's only another $500.
I don't have the staining problems like others talk about as mine are self ligating, is that an option where you are?

[Ciara]

I have ceramic top and bottom and I'm glad I don't have metal, at least for the top teeth. From a distance they are not noticeable at all - I have to do a lot of public speaking and would feel rather self-conscious if they stood out. The brackets may be a bit bigger but you get used to them quickly and most of the time I totally forget I have them. I have had no speech problems either. I have metal ties rather than ligatures so there are no issues with staining. Ceramic seem to be the norm in Japan for top brackets for anyone over 16.

[hidakat]

I got all ceramics--they were only $250 more and it seemed well worth it for the couple of years I'd be stuck in them. After I got used to the braces though, I realized metal ones probably wouldn't have been that bad. I had rubber ligatures for the first few months and they got stained pretty quickly, making my teeth look incredibly yellow. In my opinion this was much worse than a little metal. Luckily since then I've graduated to metal ties and those don't stain. The bonus of the ceramics is that they aren't very noticable in pictures, but I have also heard they are much more painful to get off when debracing time comes, so that's something to consider.

Don't let your orthodontist play to your insecurities. I've found some have a bad habit of doing that. Do what works best for you.

[Ciara]

I The bonus of the ceramics is that they aren't very noticable in pictures, but I have also heard they are much more painful to get off when debracing time comes, so that's something to consider.

Don't let your orthodontist play to your insecurities. I've found some have a bad habit of doing that. Do what works best for you.

I've had several ceramic brackets removed and repositioned. Didn't hurt at all.

[parapian]

I have metal top and bottom (my orthodontist recommended metal, because of the heavy lifting he would have to do with elastics). I don't regret it one bit.

What also made me feel better was when one of my friends said: "They look like jewels in your mouth! I wish I had braces just for that."