Clear Braces
About Our Southington CT Clear Braces
These clear brackets are made from a clear and durable ceramic material. Ceramic braces can be an excellent option when you want the reliability of traditional metal braces, but with a subtle appearance.
What Are Ceramic Braces?
Ceramic braces are also referred to as clear braces, tooth-colored braces, or esthetic braces and they work the same way metal braces do.
Designed for esthetics, our clear braces are smaller than ever and are made of nearly invisible tooth-colored polycrystalline ceramic material.
Though they’re not completely invisible, they’re much less noticeable than metal braces and will blend in well with your natural smile.
When ceramic brackets are paired with clear, white, or tooth-colored wires and elastic ties, they are an incredibly inconspicuous way to straighten your smile. As you might expect, these are an especially attractive orthodontic option for our adult patients.
Ceramic braces are perfect for patients who don’t want their braces to stand out but aren’t suitable candidates for a clear aligner system like Invisalign.
Even though most patients in ceramic braces love how discrete they are, we do have some teens and adults who like to use colored ligature ties.
These give our Southington CT clear braces an almost neon look, where the colors pop off the clear brackets, creating a really unique look most people haven’t seen before.
What to Expect from Today’s Metal Braces
Metal braces are known for their durability and strength. Although ceramic braces are also tough, they are made from a different, more fragile material that is easier to chip or crack.
Traditional braces are also able to tolerate more pressure than newer ceramic ones. If you require more severe corrections, metal braces could be the better option.
Adjustments have to be slightly smaller with ceramic braces, so it can take a little more time to align your teeth successfully. However, both types of braces work on the same principles and tend to be equally as effective in most cases.
Some people worry about ceramic braces staining, but that hasn’t been a problem for several years. Ceramic brackets won’t stain.
However, the adhesive used to attach the brackets to the teeth can stain, and so can the clear elastic ties used to hold the wires in. This can give an overall impression of discoloration or staining over time.
Some ceramic braces patients will avoid things like coffee and tea, red wine, tomatoes, mustard, etc. to cut back on the chance of any staining, but this is likely unnecessary since we place new elastics at every adjustment appointment.
As long as you maintain a good oral hygiene routine, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about giving up your morning cup of coffee or evening glass of wine.