Disclosure: Links on this site may receive a commission, this does not affect the price you pay and help us cover the costs of running this website.
Wearing braces is, admittedly, not always easy.
Orthodontic appliances can be uncomfortable and some treatments like the traditional metal braces can be downright unsightly.
Fortunately, elastic bands for braces provide a chance to make the most of your braces. Colors ranging from the softest pink to the boldest blue let you customize your look.
By choosing the right colors for your braces, they can serve as a brilliant canvas that accents your smile.
Who says braces can’t be fun?
What Are Braces Colors?
When you hear about colors for braces, the term is probably referring to the tiny rubber bands that adorn the brackets of metal braces.
An orthodontist attaches brackets directly to your teeth with a special dental cement. These brackets are often usually made from metals like stainless steel or a titanium alloy. They have a slot across the front which the archwire slides through. When this wire is tightened, it puts snug pressure on your teeth to help gently guide them into better alignment. The brackets ensure that the wire stays securely in place.
But to make sure that the wire doesn’t slip out of the brackets, your orthodontist will wind orthodontic ligatures or ties, also known as rubber bands or elastic bands, around each bracket after the arch wire is placed.
These simple little bands come in a huge array of colors; most orthodontic practices offer dozens of vibrantly-colored bands to let their patients customize their smile.
Besides the bands, there is another way braces can come in different colors.
For example, you can get metal braces that are colored to look like gold for a glitzy look. If you’d prefer a more low-profile appearance during your orthodontic treatment, then you could get tooth-colored porcelain braces.
Among the different kind of braces, the most subtle kind are the clear orthodontic aligner that doesn’t contain any metal or wires, at all. Aligners like the ones by Candid (our favorite clear aligner brand, by the way!) are practically invisible when you wear them.
What colors can you get for braces?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to your options for choosing colors for braces.
Most orthodontists offer a dozen or more colors for the elastics. You’ll have to check with your local orthodontist to find out what colors he or she offers. Their selection may be limited to the range offered by their preferred orthodontic ligature supplier.
Just to give you an idea of what colors you may have to choose from, here’s one orthodontic supply company that offers basic ligature ties in 33 colors!
Which Are The Best Colors for Braces?
There’s no one braces color that’s perfect for everyone.
To choose the right color for your adult braces (or your kid’s), you should consider factors like:
- Age
- Personal preference for brightly colored braces or a discreet look
![Braces Colors: Choosing the Perfect Shade for Your Smile (5) Braces Colors: Choosing the Perfect Shade for Your Smile (5)](https://i0.wp.com/theteethblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/color-braces-for-kids.png)
Generally-speaking, young teens and kids will prefer to create a colorful smile with their braces elastic bands that reflects their personal interests. This makes them feel more actively involved with their treatment and gives them something to look forward to at each orthodontic adjustment appointment.
![Braces Colors: Choosing the Perfect Shade for Your Smile (6) Braces Colors: Choosing the Perfect Shade for Your Smile (6)](https://i0.wp.com/theteethblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/invisible-braces-for-adults.png)
Older braces patients may prefer a more mature appearance with tooth-colored braces or even clear aligners that allow them to more easily hide the fact that they have braces.
When choosing elastic bands for your own braces, keep in mind that the right colors can actually help your teeth look whiter. The wrong colors, on the other hand, can bring out the yellow and dark tones in your tooth enamel.
For brighter-looking teeth, choose elegant cool-colored bands such as:
- Navy Blue
- Emerald
- Dark Purple
Avoid colors like bright red, orange, and yellow since these can make teeth look darker in contrast. You should also avoid black-colored bands if having whiter teeth in braces is your goal; although black is a dark color, it’s a little too extreme and can make your teeth look like they have black stains on them.
What Colors for Braces Should I Get?
The braces color that’s right for you depends on what you want to achieve with your braces look (and, of course, the braces cost you can afford, it won’t be the same to have braces with color ties than clear aligners).
Do you want to express your creativity?
Celebrate a special event?
Coordinate with an upcoming holiday?
Make it look like you’re not wearing braces?
Decide what kind of look you want to go for and then select one color or a combination of colors that will help you achieve that goal.
Here’s one idea to provide you with a little inspiration: try picking elastic band colors that complement your eye color.
An orthodontic practice called Murray Orthodontics recommends these color pairings:
- Brown eyes - choose green-colored bands
- Blue eyes - choose pink, blue, or lilac-colored bands
- Green eyes - choose purple, red, green, or orange-colored elastic bands
Want to get serious about matching your braces color to your looks?
Try matching your orthodontic ligature bands to complement your skin tone.
This InStyle article with tips on choosing the right colors for your skin highlights the best color pairings for each complexion type.
For example, warm or olive skin tones look good with reds, yellows, oranges, magenta, olive green, and turquoise. People with cool skin tones look best in bold and royal colors like sapphire and emerald and ruby. If you can’t tell where in the spectrum your complexion falls or if you have hazel eyes, then you might have a neutral tone which pairs well with light and mild colors like jade green, dusty pink, and gray.
So let out your inner fashionista and have fun coordinating the perfect color combo to highlight your natural beauty!
Braces Colors For Girls—The Perfect Color Combo for Her Smile
For most girls, appearance and customizing their look to express their individuality is important at any point in life. But looks are often of the utmost importance during those critical teen years, which also happens to be when many girls get braces. If you need to help choose orthodontic elastic brands for your daughter, remember that a classic princess pink isn’t always the answer.
Kids go through many phases in their individual style preferences and braces rubber bands are the perfect outlet for creative self-expression. After all, the bands are temporary and they get changed out at each orthodontic visit. It’s not the same thing as dyeing hair or getting a tattoo! Let your daughter have fun and pick the color combo that suits her best at the time.
Over the course of orthodontic treatment, a girl might go from a pretty-in-pink scheme, to bold purple, to an edgy black and neon-blue pairing, to school spirit red and yellow, to rose gold. There are lots of opportunities for a girl like your daughter to change up her look.
Take pictures of every one of your little girl’s color choices as she progresses through her treatment. Not only will these show how her teeth have changed over time, but it’ll be fun to look back on each snapshot that captures each phase of your daughter’s developing personality.
When it comes to choosing the perfect feminine color combo for your own braces, you can take any of the principles shared in this article and just run with it! Choose whatever color scheme suits your personality and interests the best.
If you’d prefer to keep your braces as discreet as possible, then choose either tooth-colored ceramic braces or clear aligners to straighten your teeth.
But if you want to broadcast your personality to the world, then go to town with customizing your elastic bands!
Braces Color Combinations
One of the best things about choosing colors for braces for your ligature bands is that you’re not limited to just one.
You can request a combination of colors anytime you want to celebrate with a colorful flair! Request any combination of red, white, green, silver, or gold elastic bands to spread some holiday cheer when you flash your smile.
Want to get spooky for Halloween? Black and orange are a popular combination of band colors at that time of year.
You can’t go wrong with red, white, and blue on your braces if you’re feeling patriotic.
Love hunting or want to show your support for the Armed Forces? Ask for a combination of green, brown, gray, or beige bands to create a camouflage pattern effect.
Show off that school spirit by rocking a combination of your alma mater’s colors.
Dive head-first into the game season by wearing the colors of your favorite sports team.
You can also mix and match colors to celebrate seasons with warm tones like maroon, orange, and gold for autumn or pale pink and fresh green to welcome the spring.
Ready to hit the beach? Bring a tropical grin by wearing yellow and aqua bands that recall blue waves and plenty of sunshine.
The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to colorizing your smile! In fact, combining colors in your elastic bands is often preferable to wearing just one color. Some colors can look funny when worn alone.
Red, for example, can make it look like your mouth is bleeding. And white can stand out in stark contrast with your natural tooth color and make your teeth look dark.
Just remember that it’s okay to experiment; your temporary braces bands will be changed out soon, anyway, but a mouthful of straight teeth is forever.
So whether you have colorful braces or invisible aligners, wear your smile with confidence!
Sources
- Colored Braces and Bands — Murray Orthodontics. (2020). Retrieved 4 January 2021, from https://www.murrayorthodontics.com/colored-braces
- G&H Orthodontics. (2020). Retrieved 4 January 2021, from https://www.ghorthodontics.com/store/main.aspx?p=ties&group=ties
- How to Find the Best Color to Wear For Your Skin Tone. (2020). Retrieved 4 January 2021, from https://www.instyle.com/how-tos/how-to-find-best-color-to-wear-for-your-skin-tone
- What Purpose Do Rubber Bands Serve on Your Braces?. (2020). Retrieved 4 January 2021, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/rubber-bands-on-braces-what-purpose-do-they-serve-1059338
Get our best Deals
Subscribe to our email list to get the lastest updates for your smile
(*) We promise we will never spam you
Written by Haleigh Pouliot
Formerly a dental hygienist, currently a dental writer, forever a bookworm. Haleigh put down her scaler and picked up a pen in 2015 and has been crafting dental copy ever since. She’s often on the road and loves learning new languages and meeting new people. When writer’s block hits, Haleigh takes a break to work on her pizza dough recipe or walk her dog.Haleigh was born and raised in the United States but today she lives in Nepal with her husband. She still flosses (almost) every day.
Related articles
Dental Bridges: Procedure, Cost, Alternatives, and More
Cost of Invisalign in Alabama
Laser Teeth Whitening: All You Need to Know
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.