What are coloured braces?
Coloured braces are ordinary metal fixed braces. The colour does not come from the brackets, which are stainless steel, but from the small elastic rings that hold the wire into each bracket. Those rings are replaced at every adjustment appointment, so the colour changes roughly every six to eight weeks.
There is no clinical difference between coloured and plain braces. Same brackets, same wires, same result. What the colours change is how a child feels about wearing them, and that is not a trivial thing. A teenager who picked their own colours and is looking forward to changing them tends to be easier to keep on side across two years of treatment than one who feels the brace was done to them.
There are around thirty shades to choose from. Some children stick with one, some pair colours by season or by county, some go for something different at every visit. Whatever gets chosen stays on until the next appointment, which is worth mentioning to a child before they commit to neon yellow.
Book a consultation at our Ballinteer Road clinic.
How coloured braces work
Exactly as standard fixed braces do. Brackets are bonded to the teeth, a wire is threaded across them, and the elastic rings hold that wire in place. The wire is what moves the teeth. The elastics are the fastening, and they happen to come in colours.
A few practical points worth knowing:
- Lighter shades, particularly clear, white and pale yellow, pick up staining from curry, tomato sauce and blackcurrant. Darker colours hide it.
- White elastics can make teeth look slightly more yellow by contrast. Blues and greens tend to do the opposite.
- The elastics lose a little tension over several weeks, which is normal and is part of why they are replaced each visit.
- Colours are changed as part of the routine adjustment appointment, so there is nothing to arrange in advance.
Coloured braces are chosen mainly by children and younger teenagers. Adults who want a fixed brace but not the look of one are usually better served by ceramic braces.
Book a consultation at our Dublin 16 clinic.
What do coloured braces cost?
The same as standard metal fixed braces. The coloured elastics are part of the appliance rather than an addition to it, so choosing colours does not change your fee.
What does affect the fee is the work itself: how crowded the teeth are, whether the bite needs correcting, whether one arch or both are being treated, and how long that will take. We assess all of it at the consultation and give you a written plan with a firm figure.
Payment can be spread monthly, interest free, across the treatment, or paid in full at the start for a 5% discount. Orthodontic treatment attracts 20% tax relief and we will provide a completed MED 2 form. The fee covers the appliance, all routine and emergency appointments, your first retainers, and retainer checks for a year after the braces come off.
Book a consultation at our Dundrum clinic.
The Process
A proper look at your teeth, bite and jaws, and a conversation about what is actually bothering you. We take your dental and medical history, examine you, and take whatever records are needed, which may include X-rays, photographs and a digital scan with our iTero.
You leave knowing what we have found and what the realistic options are, including leaving things alone where that is the right answer.
We review the X-rays, photographs and scan alongside the examination findings and put together a plan specific to you. It sets out the appliance we recommend, how long treatment should take, the fee, and any preparatory work needed first.
This is a two-way appointment. We go through the alternatives, including doing nothing, and answer whatever you want to ask before you decide anything.
Anything that needs sorting before treatment starts. Usually that means a dental cleaning and dealing with existing decay or gum disease with your own dentist, since moving teeth in an unhealthy mouth makes matters worse.
In some cases it also means creating space, either by reducing the width of teeth very slightly or, where crowding is severe, by removing a tooth.
The brackets are bonded to your teeth and the wire is fitted. Nothing is drilled and no anaesthetic is needed, so the appointment is only uncomfortable in the sense of keeping your mouth open for about an hour.
Expect the teeth to feel tender for three or four days afterwards. You go home with wax for any bracket that rubs, and we go through cleaning before you leave.
You come in every six to eight weeks, usually for about twenty minutes. We change the wire, replace the elastics, check the teeth are tracking to plan and adjust where they are not.
These visits are also where we check your cleaning. Plaque left sitting around a bracket marks the enamel permanently, so it is the part worth staying on top of.
The brackets and wire are taken off and the adhesive is cleaned from the tooth surface. It is quick, painless, and usually the appointment people look forward to most.
We scan your teeth the same day, so your retainers fit the position they are in right now rather than where they were a fortnight ago.
Teeth drift back towards where they started if nothing holds them, so retainers are the final stage of treatment rather than an optional extra. Most patients wear a clear retainer at night long term, often alongside a fine wire bonded behind the front teeth.
Retainer checks are included for a year after the braces come off. There is more on our retainers page.
Book a Consultation
Discuss your goals with one of our specialist orthodontists to find out what treatment option suits you best.
FAQs
Around thirty shades, from the obvious reds, blues and greens through to black, silver, gold and clear.
They are changed at every adjustment appointment, roughly every six to eight weeks, so there is a fresh choice each visit. Some children stick with one colour throughout, others pair colours by season or by county. More on our coloured braces page.
Exactly as standard metal braces do. The brackets are stainless steel and the wire is what moves the teeth. The colour comes from the small elastic rings that hold the wire into each bracket.
There is no clinical difference whatsoever between coloured and plain braces. Same brackets, same wires, same result, same treatment time.
However you like, with one practical caveat: whatever you pick stays on until the next appointment, six to eight weeks away. Worth mentioning to a child before they commit to something startling.
Beyond that, most children either pick a favourite and stick with it, match a team or a season, or change every visit for the sake of it. None of it affects the treatment.
Darker, cooler shades. Navy, deep blue, purple and dark green sit against the teeth in a way that makes them look brighter by contrast.
The opposite is also true, which is why white elastics rarely work as well as people expect. Against natural enamel, bright white can make teeth look slightly more yellow rather than whiter.
Clear, white and pale yellow are the ones people most often regret. They pick up staining quickly from curry, tomato sauce, coffee and blackcurrant, and they are the shades most likely to make teeth look yellower by contrast.
Nothing is off limits. It is worth knowing before you choose rather than six weeks afterwards.
Choose a darker shade, which hides staining far better than a light one, and rinse with water after anything strongly coloured.
Beyond that, accept it. Elastics discolour to some degree, which is precisely why they are replaced at every visit. Nobody wears the same set long enough for it to matter much.
No. Coloured braces are standard metal fixed braces, and the elastics are part of the appliance rather than an addition to it. Choosing colours does not change your fee, and changing them at every visit costs nothing extra.
What does affect the fee is the work itself: how crowded the teeth are, whether the bite needs correcting, and how long treatment will take. You will get a written plan with a firm figure at your consultation.
Yes. Coloured elastics are available on every fixed metal brace we fit at our Ballinteer Road clinic, at no extra cost, and your child chooses fresh colours at each adjustment appointment.
They are chosen mostly by children and younger teenagers. Adults who want a fixed brace but not the look of one are usually better served by ceramic braces.
Read what our patients say about us
"I went to so many dentists about my bite problem only to be dismissed. Dr Adriana and her team gave me a plan, I followed it, and two and a half years later I can smile, eat and bite properly."
"Two of my daughters had braces fitted by the lovely Dr. Katherine Condren. I would highly recommend her services, she was so good with my daughters, we are extremely happy with the service received and they both have beautiful smiles now."
"My bonded retainer came loose and several other practices turned me away. Dundrum Orthodontics saw me straight away and had it fixed within minutes."
"Dr Joseph O’Connor is such a skilled orthodontist. His kindness and attention to detail is outstanding. He takes the time to explain everything and makes you feel very comfortable. Could not recommend him more."
"I got Invisalign here in my forties and could not be happier. My daughter had braces with them a few years ago, and my sister brought her daughter on my recommendation. Exceptional service and amazing results."
"Joseph is a kind, compassionate and skilled orthodontist. He has a beautiful patient manner and his attention to detail is second to none. Highly recommend."
"Coming to the end of my braces and I couldn't be happier. The whole team are friendly and professional, and they take their time to make sure the end result is exactly what you want."
"I had a great experience with Dr O’Connor and his team. Booking was simple and they were very friendly & efficient throughout. Would highly recommended."
"My son got his braces off this morning and I am delighted with the result. Over two years, any worries we had were sorted and every question answered, always with a friendly and professional approach."
"Amazing service, highly professional. Dr O'Connor was really kind and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend!"
"Dr O'Connor is a brilliant orthodontist, the consultation was thorough and he's easy to talk to."
"Extremely happy with the outcome after braces, great attention to detail! Highly recommend."
"A long and difficult process was made easy by their care and attention. The attention to detail and professionalism was second to none."
"The staff are extremely skilled as well as friendly and easy to talk to. I am very happy with my results and with how the whole process was handled."
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