Picking the right color for your braces bands: my go-to trick

I wonder if anyone ever just tells the orthodontist to surprise them each time…

I’ve actually thought about doing that, but I’m too picky about clashing with my clothes or looking weird in pics. Has anyone tried those glow-in-the-dark bands? I’m tempted, but not sure if they’re more likely to stain or just look odd in regular light.

I get what you mean about wanting to coordinate—some colors just don’t vibe with everything. I tried the glow-in-the-dark bands once out of curiosity. In regular light, they looked kind of pale and a bit weird, honestly, but they were fun at night. I didn’t notice any extra staining, but I’m not a big coffee or curry person, so maybe that helped. If you’re feeling adventurous, it’s a harmless way to switch things up, but I usually stick to darker colors now for the sake of photos.

I get why you’d lean toward darker bands for photos, but honestly, I’ve had the opposite experience. The darker colors made my teeth look a bit yellow in group pics, which was kind of a bummer. I actually switched to medium blues and purples—they seem to balance things out without drawing too much attention. Never tried the glow-in-the-dark ones, though... kind of wish I had just for the novelty. Guess it really depends on lighting and personal style.

That’s interesting you mention the yellow effect—same thing happened to me with black and dark green bands. I thought they’d look cool, but in photos, my teeth looked almost... dingy? I got so self-conscious that I started picking navy or a kind of smoky blue instead. It’s such a weird balance between what looks good in the mirror and what shows up in pics. I was always too anxious to try anything really bright or wild, though—one bad color pick and I’d be counting down the weeks till my next appointment.

Honestly, I kinda liked the black bands even though

in photos, my teeth looked almost... dingy