Dental braces are used in orthodontic treatments for a number of dental issues, including overcrowding of the teeth, crooked teeth, gaps or spaces between the teeth, etc. People also use braces for cosmetic reasons to properly align their teeth and improve their smile. Despite the fact that there are over 4.5 million people in America who wear braces, of which close to 25% are adults, there’s still a degree of stigma associated with dental braces. Hence, a number people with dental issues avoid braces, even though they need it. Clear and tooth-colored braces, lingual braces and clear orthodontic aligners like Invisalign and ClearCorrect have helped increase the social acceptability of braces by being less noticeable than traditional metal braces. However, dental braces still aren’t something people like to show off.
Typically, you will be required to wear braces for up to 24 months or longer to align your teeth properly. The length of the orthodontic treatment is usually a little lower for children and adolescents than that for adults. You can ask the orthodontist to use colored elastic bands or ligatures to bind the brackets and archwire in metal and ceramic brackets to make a style statement. You do not have to shy away or be self-conscious about the braces. Instead you can wear your braces with white bands and stand out among your peers.
Braces with White Bands
Ask your orthodontist to use white elastic bands instead of the regular ones. These will look really good during the summer and will add some personality to the braces without being too flashy. Braces with white bands are a particularly good option for school-going children and adolescents. Schools might have certain restrictions regarding flashy braces and white bands will ensure no rules are broken. White bands also do a good job of hiding the silver brackets and archwire to a certain extent.
However, there are certain issues with white bands. Firstly, the white will be quite bright and there’s a chance that it will make your teeth appear yellowish or darker than they actually are. Even if you got your teeth whitened, there’s a good chance the teeth will look a little duller as compared to the pure white of the elastic bands. The other issue is that white bands are likely to get dirty earlier than elastic bands of a darker shade, or rather that white bands are more likely to appear dirty than elastic bands of a darker shade.
Caring for White Bands
You will have to take care of the white bands to ensure they continue to look good. You should avoid sticky food as much as possible. These can get stuck in the bands are prove difficult to remove. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss between the teeth once a day to ensure that all food particles and removed.
Braces with Colored Bands
The best part of using colored elastic bands is that you do not have to make a long-term commitment at any point, unlike the braces themselves. You will have to visit the orthodontist every 4-6 weeks for adjustments to the braces, during which the old elastic bands will be discarded and new ones put in place. It gives you the opportunity to use a different colored band every time and experiment.
What Other Colors Can You Use?
So, if you do decide to experiment you can select colors for elastic bands based on a number of parameters.
Skin Tone
You select elastic band colors that complement your skin tone. For example, for dark, brown and olive skin tones, deep bright colors such as violet and navy blue look great. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, gold and turquoise can great color options as well. For fair skin tones, cooler colors such as sky blue, baby pink, mauve, etc. look really good. If the elastic band color is complementary to your skin tone it also means that it will match with your clothes and add to the style quotient.
Seasonal and Festive Colors
You can also select elastic band colors based on the season or an upcoming festival. So, blue and white look great during summer, while orange can be a great choice for autumn and spring. In terms of festivals, you also wear orange bands during Halloween and alternating red and green bands during Christmas. Other festivals and special days such as St. Patrick’s Day and the 4th of July have signature colors associated with them. You can opt for those colors as well.
That’s not all. You can also opt for colors that match your school colors or the school mascot, your favorite sports team or even glow-in-the-dark elastic bands that kids can show-off during a sleepover.
Colors to Avoid
Not all colors are suitable for elastic bands.
- Yellow: It will highlight any yellowness of the teeth and stains. Plus, it can appear as if food particles are stuck to the teeth.
- Dark Green: This too can create the impression that food particles such as spinach or other veggies are stuck to the teeth, which can appear ugly. Light green wouldn’t create the same issues and mixing green with other colors is a good option as well.
- Black or Gray: Black might seem like a good option, but black elastic bands can appear as decay in the teeth. If you particular love the color black, then wear it during Halloween along with orange. It can also be worn to coincide with a musical concert or party that you’re planning to attend.
- Red: Red is an excellent color, but people might be mistaken into thinking that your gum is bleeding. Scarlet is better option than pure red.
Conclusion
Braces with white bands look good and also camouflage the brackets and archwires to a certain degree but if you want to get creative, you can try to kill the stigma associated with dental braces once and for all with colored elastic bands. Instead of trying to hide your braces or feeling self-conscious while smiling, show them off in style by using colorful elastic bands. You can experiment with other colors as well as the elastic bands are typically replaced every month or so.