If you’ve just received braces, you’re probably feeling a lot of different emotions—for starters, you’re likely very excited to finally be kicking off your orthodontic journey! However, you might also have concerns about your smile’s appearance during treatment; after all, the metal brackets and wires are quite noticeable, and you might be worried that they’ll dampen the splendor of your pearly whites! But did you know that you can actually accentuate the whiteness of your teeth by selecting certain colors for the rubber bands that accompany your braces? Keep reading to learn more!
The Role of Elastic Bands During Orthodontic Treatment
During your orthodontic treatment, you’ll be required to visit your provider fairly often for checkups. These visits are quite important; they allow your orthodontist to inspect your mouth and make sure that your treatment is going along as planned, and if any small tweaks or adjustments are needed, they can easily be carried out.
These visits also include swapping out the rubber bands that fit around your brackets for new ones. Made from safe, medical-grade latex, these tiny elastics are responsible for applying the steady pressure needed to guide your teeth into the correct position.
But they also add a bit of exciting flare to your treatment, since they come in a wide variety of colors! This means that whenever you’re visiting your orthodontist for a checkup, you’ll have the opportunity to select a new color for your rubber bands; this little bit of customization is surprisingly fun for many patients, especially children.
Colors That Can Accentuate White Teeth
But what many patients don’t initially realize is that the colors they choose to wear for their rubber bands can impact the whiteness of their teeth! That said, if you’re hoping to make your teeth appear whiter during your orthodontic treatment, here are some rubber band colors you should consider:
- Darker shades of blue like royal blue and navy.
- Shades of purple including violet and indigo.
- Black, since it creates a nice amount of contrast.
- Clear or silver, which are both great for yellow-tinted teeth.
Colors You Should Consider Avoiding
It’s important to acknowledge that even though you can select your rubber bands from an entire spectrum of different colors, not every color will have a positive impact on your pearly whites. Here are some colors worth avoiding if you want your teeth to appear whiter:
- White, since these bands can become stained and discolored over time (just like your teeth).
- Warmer, bright colors like orange, yellow or gold.
- Darker shades of brown or green, as it might resemble food debris stuck in your braces.
Given that your braces will be a part of your smile for the next several months or even years, you should want to feel satisfied and confident with how they look—and this includes feeling good about the color of their rubber bands! Fortunately, you can easily pick colors that’ll boost the appearance of your smile and in turn, your self-esteem throughout your treatment.
About the Practice
Our team at Simply Orthodontics Worcester is honored to serve the needs of patients and families in the Worcester, MA community. Under the leadership of the talented Dr. Sam Alkhoury, we’re excited to offer a wide range of orthodontic treatment options including traditional braces to help you and your loved ones achieve your smile goals. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to schedule a visit for you or a loved one, feel free to contact us online or over the phone for further information. Telephone: (508) 757-3173.