Tips to Help Your Child Smile Brightly with Braces at School

Your appearance, from the clothes you choose to wear to everything else about your personal style, can be considered an expression of who you are on the inside. Rubber bands for braces come in a rainbow of colors, so your orthodontic treatment gives you another avenue to express your individuality.

To back up for a second, braces with brackets and wires require the use rubber bands, or more specifically “elastics.” The small elastics which fit around each bracket that hold the archwire in place are called ligatures and we’ll let you choose what colors you want for the ligatures. You can choose one color, alternating colors for each tooth, or make all the top teeth one color and all the bottom teeth a different one. These ligatures need to be changed every 4 to 6 weeks. That means you can switch out your colors for something new and novel during any check-up.

What color or colors should you choose? What will your choices say about you? Your rubber band colors might say that:

You’re Fashionable

Coordinate the rubber band colors with the dominant colors of your wardrobe, or match them to a specific outfit you might be wearing to a big, upcoming event. You might also wish to match the color with your eyes or choose hues that complement your skin tone.

You’re Discreet

Our adult patients (and also some teenagers) tend to prefer colors that don’t pop out when they smile. They’ll choose clear, white, or silver elastics. Silver elastics are often the best choice, because white and clear elastics have a tendency to stain, particularly if someone is a drinker of tea, coffee or red wine.

You Have School Spirit

Every school has its mascot and colors. Use those colors to show your school pride!

You Have Team Spirit

Is your favorite professional or college sports team beginning a new season or doing well this year? Let the world know you’re a fan.

You Feel Festive

During Easter, choose pink and light blue. When Halloween comes around, choose orange and black or glow-in-the-dark variations. Christmastime brings out the red and green. And go for the red, white, and blue around the 4^th of July.

You Have Personality

Are you passionate and bold? Red might be the color for you. On the other hand, if you’re cool and laid back, go with the blue. Choose purple if you’re feeling creative, daring or unconventional. Orange may be for you if you have a sunny and social disposition.

Although we have elastics in dozens of colors, ask us for recommendations regarding things you might not have thought of. For example, some colors like black or brown might make people think you have food caught in your teeth. If you go with white and your teeth are slightly yellow (as many people’s teeth are), the contrast could emphasize the yellow tint of your teeth. Yellow bands can have the same effect. And certain light colors can have a tendency to stain. We’re not saying you should never go for these colors, just to consider the bigger picture.

After reading this post, are you excited to try out new possibilities for your rubber band colors? Why not do an online search for inspiration? You’ll find examples of what others have chosen on Pinterest, blogs, and all over the web.