We just wrapped up a two-year braces journey with my daughter, and honestly, I’m still a little in shock at how well it went. She started with the classic metal ones (the ones with the colored bands—she changed them for every holiday, which was actually kind of fun). I was worried she’d hate them or get teased, but it was actually the opposite. A bunch of her friends had them too, so it became almost like this club. Plus, she got super into picking band colors to match her mood.
The orthodontist had suggested ceramic ones at first, but my daughter was worried she’d be too self-conscious about stains or them looking “weird.” We also looked at Invisalign, but she’s the type who would 100% lose the trays within a week. Metal just seemed like the least stressful option for us.
Now that her braces are off, her teeth look amazing and she’s so much more confident—she even smiles in photos now (which was NOT happening before). The whole thing was way less traumatic than I expected. She did complain about soreness after adjustments and we had a couple of broken brackets (sticky candy strikes again), but overall, not too bad.
Curious if anyone else has had good experiences with different types? Did your kids go for clear aligners or ceramic? Any regrets or things you wish you knew at the start?
“She started with the classic metal ones (the ones with the colored bands—she changed them for every holiday, which was actually kind of fun). I was worried she’d hate them or get teased, but it was actually the opposite.”
That’s awesome to hear it ended up being such a positive experience for her. The colored bands really do make the whole process more fun—my niece did the same thing, and it turned into a running joke in the family about what theme she’d pick next (Halloween was always a big deal).
You mentioned considering ceramic but worrying about stains. That’s totally valid. My cousin went with ceramic, and while they looked less noticeable, she did have to be super careful with curry and coffee. She said if she forgot once, the bands would get this faint yellowish tint that drove her nuts. It wasn’t the end of the world, but definitely an extra thing to think about.
With clear aligners, I’ve seen mixed results. My son tried them for a few months, but honestly, he just wasn’t disciplined enough to keep them in or remember where he put them. We switched to metal and it was way less stressful.
Kind of wild how much confidence can change with a smile, right? The soreness after adjustments is rough, but it fades, and the end result is so worth it. If I could go back, I’d just remind myself not to sweat the little stuff—broken brackets happen, and it’s not the end of the world.
Interesting to hear how metal braces ended up being a confidence boost—honestly, I was surprised by that with my own daughter too. She actually liked picking out the colors, even though I thought she’d want something more “invisible.” But I do wonder if the whole colored bands thing is a bit of a double-edged sword. It made her more excited about appointments, but sometimes she’d get stressed about choosing the “right” color for school events or holidays. Not a huge deal, just something I hadn’t expected.
The ceramic option always sounded appealing for the less noticeable look, but I’ve seen staining be a bigger issue than most people expect. My neighbor’s kid had them and even with careful brushing, those ligatures just never stayed clear. I guess if you’re super diligent it could work, but it seems like more hassle than it’s worth for some families.
On clear aligners—I get the discipline part, but isn’t there also an issue with certain kinds of tooth movement? Our ortho said they don’t always work as well for more complicated cases. Just curious if anyone’s run into that or if it’s mostly about remembering to wear them...
Yeah, the color bands thing is wild—my kid spent more time picking those than picking her Halloween costume. I hear you on the ceramic braces too. They look nice at first, but unless your kid’s skipping spaghetti and coffee (ha, good luck), stains just happen. And about clear aligners, you’re right—sometimes they just can’t wrangle those stubborn teeth into place. My nephew had to switch back to metal halfway through. It’s all a bit of a balancing act, honestly.
We’re in the middle of this right now and honestly, I’m stressed about picking the “right” one. My daughter wanted clear aligners at first, but our ortho said her bite’s too complicated. I’m nervous about the staining on ceramics, too—she’s a big pasta fan. Leaning toward metal, but I worry she’ll hate how they look... It’s tough to feel confident about any of it.
