Today we’re going to talk about the difference between clear braces vs metal braces. The word braces can also be called “Brackets”. And the two words “clear” and “ceramic” have the same meaning here. As long as they are not Aligners. because Aligners are not braces at all. and they use other different techniques to move teeth in Orthodontic Aligners like Invisalign.
The question of comparing clear braces versus metal braces is something almost all those who will do braces want to know about. So I will spend a little bit of time talking about the differences.
Of course at the beginning we really can’t compare the clear versus the metal brackets if we don’t know what they are? And what do they look like? So let’s first take a closer look at what these braces look like
What are metal braces?
The metal braces are something we all are more familiar with. and these are basically the stainless steel brackets or braces that are attached to each tooth in your mouth during orthodontic treatment. So metal braces can also be called “stainless steel brackets”. And they’re bonded on to each individual tooth using “Orthodontic composite bonding”.
Also we have stainless steel wires that are tied into the metal braces using rubber bands. These rubber bands are available in several colors or they can be clear ligature bands or metal bands. Also the braces itself can have self-ligating doors, so we do not use rubber or metal ligatures on it.
how these braces work if you’ve watched a number of my videos
What are ceramic or clear braces?
The first thing you’ll notice is that the bracket that’s attached to the tooth is clear. you may have also noticed the blue lines. and those lines are used as markers so that your orthodontist can orient the brackets. But once the brackets are attached to the tooth. These colored marks can be removed using water leaving the brackets clear.
Sometimes there’s a metal insert in the clear braces. and that makes it so that the bracket doesn’t break as easily. Because the clear material itself is weak.
According to some companies, the clear braces can be totally clear without the addition of metal. But in this case, your orthodontist may prefer using metal braces on the back molars so that they can’t break easily and you really can’t see them. And keeping clear braces for the front teeth only.
So now let’s talk about the pros and cons of clear vs metal braces.
pros and cons of clear vs metal braces
One important thing I want you to know is that the end result of clear braces vs. metal braces should be the same. The types of braces that we use shouldn’t dictate your final results. so every case that can be treated with metal braces can also be treated with clear braces. Because the wires and the mechanics that we use are also often very similar.
Cons of Ceramic clear braces vs metal braces.
1- still using metal wires with ceramic braces.
You might think that everything will be clear and there is no anything will be noticeable if you get the clear braces, but in fact the wires are also metal. And they could appear easily across the teeth over the clear braces. Although still they are less noticeable than metal braces.
2- stains of ceramic braces.
Another disadvantage of clear braces is that it can easily be stained with food and drink residues if you don’t brush them. Or if you take care of them, they will remain clear and clean especially if they are made of high quality materials.
3- ceramic braces are more brittle than meta braces.
I saw the biggest drawback for these ceramic braces versus the metal braces is the fact that they’re brittle. And that’s because of the material metal braces tend to stay intact because they’re metal. but these ceramic braces tend to fracture. Alot of people might say “well I have metal braces and my braces broke”. OK, right, what I’m talking about isn’t that the bracket broke off of the tooth. What I’m saying is the bracket sometimes breaks in half while still attached to the tooth. And this isn’t good because this may expand your treatment time and your orthodontist will need to replace the broken braces and do ligatures again.
So my advice is to be super careful about foods to avoid so that you don’t chip these braces.
Foods to avoid especially with clear braces.
4- Larger in size.
Another thing you should know about these clear brackets is that they’re a little bit more bulky than the metal brackets. And this is because of the same reason as I mentioned earlier. These ceramic brackets have a higher chance of chipping when compared to metal. So the companies make them a little bit larger to compensate for the weakness of the material.
Pros of Ceramic brackets vs metal braces
But the main take-home message at the end of the day is that “clear brackets still are great for those patients that are concerned about aesthetics”. They look great and they’re a lot less noticeable than the metal braces.
Conclusion
Clear or ceramic braces are aesthetically great solutions for those who want to straighten their teeth. But there are some drawbacks as I mentioned. They’re bigger and they have a higher chance of chipping which may increase your treatment time. And you have to be more careful with what you eat with clear braces than with metal braces.
But still the mechanics that your orthodontist uses will be the same, and you should still have a fantastic result that you can be happy about.
I hope I answered all your concerns about the differences between clear and metal braces.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below this post and I will answer it. God willing.
