Much less obvious in person and in photos
The bracket takes on your tooth shade rather than contrasting with it, which is why most of our adult patients who want fixed braces ask about this option first.
Treatments
Clear/Ceramic Braces
Tooth-coloured brackets for patients who want fixed braces without the metal look — fitted at our Aventura office by four orthodontists, all licensed and certified.
- Discreet
- Free consultation
- Aventura, Florida
The discreet fixed option
What are
clear/ceramic braces?
Ceramic and tooth-colored braces are made from composite material. They are not as noticeable as metal braces and are an ideal choice for those who are concerned that the braces will affect their looks. The elastic ligatures may stain but these are usually replaced during your monthly visit.
Clear braces work exactly like metal ones — a bracket on every tooth, an archwire running through them, light continuous pressure moving each tooth along a planned path. The difference is the bracket itself, which is made from a ceramic or composite material shaded to sit close to your natural tooth colour.
At conversational distance they read as a much softer line across the teeth than stainless steel does. The wire is still visible; what disappears is the bright metal square on each tooth.
Why patients
choose clear/ceramic braces
Fixed braces do the work; the brackets decide how much of it anyone else notices.
The same control as metal braces
Nothing about the mechanics changes. Crowding, spacing and bite correction are treated the same way, on the same kind of timeline.
Ligatures are replaced every visit
The small elastics that hold the wire are the part that discolours, and they come off and go back on new at each adjustment.
Works on the upper arch alone if you prefer
Some patients choose clear brackets on the teeth that show when they smile and metal on the lower back teeth, which keeps the cost down.
What treatment
actually involves
From the first appointment to the day the braces come off — and the part afterwards that decides whether the result lasts.
1
Free consultation
We examine your bite and take a free digital panoramic X-ray, then talk through whether clear brackets suit your case — and where they do and do not make a visible difference.
2
Fitting day
Each tooth is prepared and its bracket bonded in place, then the wire is fitted and held with clear or white ligatures.
3
Adjustment visits
We change the wire, check progress and fit fresh ligatures. This is the visit that resets any discolouration from the previous few weeks.
4
Removal and retainers
The brackets are taken off and the teeth polished. Your retainer then holds the corrected position — that part is not optional if you want the result to last.
FAQs about
clear/ceramic braces
The questions we are asked most often. Anything not covered here, ask us at your free consultation — it includes a free digital panoramic X-ray.
Do clear braces stain?
The brackets themselves resist staining. The elastic ligatures around them can pick up colour from coffee, tea, red wine, curries and tomato sauces — and, as the practice notes, those ligatures are usually replaced at your monthly visit, so any discolouration is temporary rather than permanent.
Are they more fragile than metal?
Ceramic is more brittle than stainless steel, so we are more careful about hard foods with these. Cut firm items into pieces and keep away from ice and hard sweets and breakages are uncommon.
Do they take longer than metal braces?
Not inherently — the tooth movement is driven by the same wires. What varies is your individual case, which is what we assess at the consultation.
Can anyone have clear braces?
Most patients can. For some bites the forces involved make metal the more sensible choice on certain teeth, which is a judgement we make when we examine you rather than something that can be answered in advance.
Are they the same as Invisalign?
No. Clear braces are fixed to your teeth and stay on for the whole treatment. Invisalign uses removable clear trays — a different treatment, which we cover on its own page.
The other types
of braces
Which one suits you depends on your bite, your treatment time and how visible you want the braces to be. See them all on the braces overview.
Ready when you are
Call us today for a
free consultation.
Your free consultation includes a free digital panoramic X-ray. All orthodontic options and financial options are presented while considering duration of the treatment and insurance coverage.