Braces Colors Patient Guide
Many orthodontic patients wonder what the options are for braces colors. Today there are a variety of ways to customize your orthodontic treatment. Orthodontists offer traditional metal braces or clear aligners (Invisalign) for patients looking to straighten their teeth.
Many teen and young patients choose traditional braces that are either clear or metal since they are small and efficient. Choosing one of these two options allow the patient to also customize their braces colors! Often patients choose colors that reflect their favorite sports team, school colors, or holidays colors, such as orange and black for Halloween.
We also see some of our older teen or adult patients opt for dental braces to avoid the extra maintenance that comes with clear aligner, and to have fun with the different colors options.
You can read more about various types of braces and aligners here.
What Does “Braces Color” Actually Mean?
What is often referred to as colored braces is actually small rubber bands that go around the metal brackets on each tooth. The rubber bands help hold the wires in place and allow the teeth to move to the ideal positions.
The great feature of rubber bands is that you are not stuck with one color the entirety of your orthodontic treatment. You can choose to a new color each time you come in for an appointment which is typically every 8-12 weeks. This allows lots of opportunity to change things up!
Some of our color options include:
-
Darker colors
-
Neutral or clear (skin tone like)
-
Grey or silver
-
Neon
-
White
-
Metallic
-
Glow-in-the-dark
Keep in mind that color options can change based on the type of braces you have. You can talk to our team about your options during your free consultation.
Have Some Fun With Color Combinations
As mentioned previously, you are able to change your braces colors every time you come in for an appointment. Sometimes, waiting around 8-12 weeks to change colors can feel like a long time, especially if you choose a color combo for a seasonal event.
If patients have a hard time deciding what braces color combination they want, we encourage them to ask their family for ideas. This makes it a fun, family activity and makes everyone excited about the process.
The Best Braces Colors For Any Style
Most patients with traditional braces will begin by getting a rainbow pattern for their colored rubber bands. This allows them to test out a variety of colors and come in for their next appointment knowing what they do and don’t like. Often times patients will decide on a “signature color” and stick with that for most of their treatment.
Here are some things we tell patients to keep in mind which may help with the decision-making process for band colors:
-
Darker colored ties -like dark green, teal, navy blue, and dark purple- often make your teeth look whiter!
-
Choosing colors that compliment your hair color and eye color can make the braces appear less prominent.
-
Silver, grey and clear ties will appear more subtle and blend in with the archwire.
-
The holidays are a great time to have some fun with your braces! Try green and red for the Christmas season; red, white and blue (light blue or dark blue) to celebrate the 4th of July; or even black and orange to get in the spooky spirit this Fall!
Maintaining good oral hygiene by using floss and brushing regularly, helps elastic bands maintain their color longer. Bright colors can change over time with food and dental plaque buildup, whereas dark colors are usually less affected by these factors. Ask for the color wheel in your appointment to check all light and darker shades for picking the right color.
Keep It Neutral With Clear Braces
Adults and some teens who prefer a more neutral look often choose clear ceramic braces for their orthodontic treatment. Lighter colors or neutral colors are popular colors for these brackets because they blend in with some skin tones. For patients who are not interested in adding color to their ceramic braces, we use white ligatures or white bands.
Self ligated braces are a type of braces in which the brackets have gates to hold the wire. You don’t need to have color ties with these braces. These braces can also be more hygienic since the color ties tend to collect lots of plaque. In either case, maintaining good oral hygiene is of the upmost importance.
Lingual Hidden Braces
One alternative type of braces are those that are placed behind the teeth – lingual braces . You don’t need color around these braces since they are truly invisible.
Lingual braces, similar to Invisalign, offer cosmetic orthodontic treatment. There are many differences between Invisalign and lingual braces.
Lingual braces costs more than traditional metal braces. Learn more about lingual braces cost.
Aligner or Invisalign Colors
Patients who are interested in invisible treatment most commonly choose aligners or Invisalign. While color options are available for some clear retainers with patterns, most aligners don’t come with color choices. Stickers are available for personalizing aligners, but since our patients change their aligners weekly, most kids don’t opt for this.
For patients with clear aligners that need rubber bands, we offer them colored rubber bands.
At the end of the day, traditional braces with different colors are still very popular. Our orthodontist uses customized metal braces that are digitally positioned on your teeth. We use cutting edge technology that helps reduce the treatment time and increase our efficiency to render high quality care, while keeping the option for you to personalize them with your favorite colors.
Please contact us if you have further questions for Dr. Rooz, our board-certified orthodontist, about colored braces. Personalized Orthodontics offers customized care in Sammamish, Issaquah and Bellevue.
Cost of Braces
Insurance companies are covering part of orthodontic treatment cost. Based on your insurance policies you could get a range of $1000 to $5000.
Book a free Consultation
Start a virtual consultation today or schedule an in-person appointment at our Sammamish or Bellevue clinic. Your first free appointment includes recommendations for orthodontic treatment.