Choosing the Color of Your Braces
What Types of Braces Allow You to Choose Colors and What are the Purpose of Colored Bands on Braces?
Has your Orthodontist recommended braces as part of your treatment plan?
Colors on braces are fun but are they functional? It depends on the type of bracket.
Why do orthodontic braces have colors attached to them?
In conventional twin braces, the color ligature ties are functional in that they attach the wire to the bracket (also referred to as a brace). The term ligate or ligature refers to the way an orthodontic wire attaches itself to the orthodontic bracket (or brace) and literally means to “tie up” or “join together”.
With self-ligating braces, such as Damon braces, the wire slides directly into the bracket so colored or metal ligature ties are not needed to hold the wire in place. However, part of the fun of braces is customizing them with colors so even with Damon braces, you can place colors behind the bracket.
When do we use braces that require color ties?
Modern orthodontic treatment is often broken up into two phases of treatment.
Phase 1 is known as an intervention phase, when the mouth has a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth. The purpose of this phase is to use a child’s growth to create space so all permanent teeth have a chance to grow into the mouth. This can mean using a palate expander that helps the jaw grow wider than it would on it’s own creating a space in between the top two front teeth. Expanders along with partial braces reallocate the space where it is needed. This is the time when conventional twin braces with colored ties are used.
Phase 2 is when full upper and lower braces are placed, as an adolescent, when all baby teeth are gone and permanent teeth remain. Whether you have two phases or just a single phase of braces as a teen, this is the time when self-ligating Damon braces are used and the colors are just for fun but not required.
Colors hold the wire in place on conventional twin brackets used in Phase 1 treatment.
Colors are optional and sit behind the bracket on the self-ligating, full set of Damon braces.
Wearing braces with colors during your Smile Journey
You will choose a color for each bracket when wearing twin braces during Phase 1 treatment. For example, if you have 4 brackets, you can pick up to 4 different colors. Colors hold the wire in place so you will choose colors at each visit. If you have partial braces on top and bottom, you will choose colors for all of the brackets.
When wearing Damon braces, colors are optional. At each visit, you can choose up to 6 colors for the top 6 brackets. Colors are not placed on the back or the bottom. If you are not interested in colors at a visit, no problem! They are optional so you have the choice at each visit whether to pick colors or not.