Show Your Spirit with Colored Braces

Kids and teens may not be excited about wearing metal orthodontic braces, but colored braces? That’s another story!

To show school spirit or their own free spirit, colored braces come with unlimited options for mixing and matching. And in addition to standard color-wheel options, like black, reds, blues, greens, purples, pinks, and oranges, we often have metallic and glitter bands, which can add a bit of sparkle to your color scheme. (Did someone say “GO TEAM?”) In October, our glow-in-the-dark bands are quite popular, though they’re cool any time of year. For the winter holidays, popular colors are red, green, silver, gold, and blue. With colored bands, you’re the artist.

In today’s blog, we’ll answer common questions about colored braces. If you have additional questions, give us a call at 832-699-3683. As your Tomball orthodontist, Dr. Wint is always happy to answer questions, so you and your kids can make informed decisions about orthodontic treatment.

FAQs for Colored Braces

What are colored braces?

Metal braces brackets help hold an archwire in place by way of ligatures, also called rubber bands, elastics, or just bands. At every appointment, the bands are changed out. Normally, we use clear bands. But who likes normal? 

Colored braces are really metal braces with colored ligatures.

How are bands attached?

The bands are woven into brackets, and they are not the same types of rubber bands that span from top to bottom arches. Those are called interarch bands.

Ligatures (colored braces bands) are literally woven in and around each bracket.

Why do brackets have bands?

Colored braces feature ligatures to help move teeth in specific directions. The archwire itself doesn’t do all of the work.

What colors should I choose?

This is an excellent question. First of all, note that if you use our palette to choose colors, the shade of your bands will be a bit darker than what’s represented in the palette. 

And BONUS, here are some more great tips:

• DO NOT choose colors that could be mistaken for food stuck on your brackets (brown, green).
• DO NOT choose yellow; it makes teeth look yellowed.

And…

• DO choose dark-colored bands to make your teeth look whiter.
• DO celebrate holidays with the shades of the season.
• DO support your favorite teams by sporting team colors.
• DO match bands to your eyes or hair. (This is especially fun if your hair is pink or blue!)
• DO choose bands in the most prevalent colors of your wardrobe.
• DO match your bands to your manicure.
• DO be creative and let your personality shine through!
• DO plan ahead. Your bands won’t be changed again until your next adjustment appointment. What will happen between now and then? Will baseball end and football begin? Is the 4th of July coming up? What about class pictures? It’s good to plan ahead!

How often are bands changed out?

At every adjustment visit, which occurs every 6 to 8 weeks, we change out colored braces bands. This means, you can select a new color scheme at every visit (though you don’t have to change the color scheme). For a faster visit, plan ahead of time which colors you want.

Why are elastics changed?

Have you ever noticed how elastic-waisted pants become stretched out over time? Braces elastics are no different. To maintain the pressure required to move your teeth, elastics must be swapped out at every adjustment appointment.

Schedule Your Colored Braces Consultation 

Do you want colored braces? If you now wear or will soon wear traditional orthodontic braces, we’ll be happy to help you show your school spirit or your inner pazazz! Call Harmony Orthodontics now at 832-699-3683 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Wint W. Tun. Located in Tomball, TX, Harmony Orthodontics serves children, teens, and adults. We are accepting new patients now, so give us a call!