How to Choose the Colors for Your Braces

Picking out the colors for braces can be a really fun part of a patient’s treatment, but it can also be confusing for someone new to the process. What colors will look best? Are there any colors avoid? We like to think that the colors for your braces are an added accessory to your everyday look, and it can be one of the most exciting parts of your appointment! We understand that picking a good color for your braces can be a bit of a daunting task. Never fear, Dudley Smiles is here to help! Let’s take a look at some of the tips and tricks for picking the right color for you!

How to Choose the Best Braces Color

We know how many patients worry about picking the best braces colors for themselves. The good news is there’s no such thing as one right color for braces! This choice is solely up to you and can be tailored to your style. You can pick from a number of colors, and most orthodontists will let you pick multiple colors at once. We know that can sound a little overwhelming, so here are some ideas to get you started:

Colors based on features

Choosing colors based on your natural look is always a safe option. You might want to choose a color based on your eyes, whether you want to match the color or pick a complementing one. Blue and green eyes can be matched easily, and if you have brown eyes, more earthy colors like dark green or blues can make an excellent complement. You can also choose your colors based on hair color and skin tone. Darker skin and hair look best with jewel colors, like turquoise, emerald, violet, navy blue, and pink. Pastels and neons can also provide excellent contrast. Lighter skin and hair look best with either bright or dark colors, such as pink, light blue, navy, dark green, dark red, violet, or even bronze colors.  

Colors based on style

Another idea for choosing colors is to pick from some that reflect what colors you already wear. If you wear more bright colors, you can choose from bright pinks, reds, blues, and greens to match your everyday outfits. If you wear more subdued colors, choosing colors like navy, light blues and pinks will work with your style, rather than clashing with it. If you don’t typically stick to one color palette in your wardrobe, here are some smaller things you can match your braces colors to:

• Your favorite pair of shoes
• Your favorite hat or hair accessory
• Your favorite color of eyeshadow
• Your favorite color of nail polish

Colors that mean something!

Braces are temporary, and you might want to choose colors that mean something important to you at this time of your life. Many of our younger patients like to choose their school colors for their braces. If you play a school sport during a particular time of year, you can coordinate the colors on your braces to your school colors for the duration of that season to show your team spirit! You can also choose colors based on your favorite sports team! With fall being just around the corner, a lot of our patients are choosing their colors based on their favorite football teams. At Dudley Orthodontics, we love getting the chance to meet fellow Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners fans! Both the Seahawks (navy, bright green, and silver) and the Mariners (navy blue, green, and silver) have great color combinations to choose from! If you are a member of a special organization or support a cause, this can also be a great way to choose your colors. Choosing colors based on something important to you also has the added bonus of giving you an opportunity to talk about your cause! For example, you may feel passionate about a cause such as the Alzheimer’s Association and choose dark purple as a way of showing support.

Holiday Spirit

Nothing says festive quite like holiday-coordinated braces! This can be a fun way to showcase your love for a particular holiday that is celebrated in the month you choose these colors. Here are some fun ideas for holiday colors:

• Halloween will be here before you know it, and there are plenty of possibilities for this day. You can choose colors like black and orange, or even coordinate the colors of your braces with the costume you will be wearing. Halloween is another fun opportunity to try glow-in-the-dark bands for your night of trick-or-treating!
• Red and dark green are a nice way to spread Christmas cheer in the month of December.
• Spread the love by wearing red, pink, or purple during the month of February to celebrate Valentine’s Day!
• Easter is a great holiday for pastels, and these colors look great on just about everybody. Light blues, pinks, greens, and purples are a great idea for this season.
• It’s easy to light up the Fourth of July with the classic red, white, and blue combination.

Not All Colors are Created Equal

Perhaps the most stressful thing when picking out colors is trying to avoid the “wrong” colors. While we don’t believe there are no “wrong” colors, there are certain shades that you may decide to stay away from.

• Clear bands can be a good option for anyone who wants to take a more subtle approach with their braces. Unfortunately, clear bands can start to look a little different as time goes on. One of the ways this can happen is when food gets stuck in between the bracket and the tooth. Drinking sodas and coffee can also lead to staining with clear bands. However, taking care of your teeth and following Dr. Dudley’s instructions can prevent some of these issues.

• Choosing white as your primary color may seem like a good idea, but for some patients, it can actually highlight the yellow undertones in their teeth. This can also be true with gold and yellow as well. The good news is that combining these colors with other choices can significantly lessen the effect that they have on duller teeth. On the flip side, darker colors such as dark blue, green, and purple can actually make teeth look whiter, so combining darker colors with lighter ones may resolve this issue.

In the end, no matter what colors or combinations you choose, colored bands allow you to express your creativity in unique and fun ways! And if you decide that you don’t like your color choices, you can always change them out the next time you pay us a visit. So whether you choose more subdued colors or decide to go with the brightest colors we offer, Dudley Orthodontics has all the options you could want! If you’re still stuck, our friendly staff is more than willing to help you pick out a color combination that fits you and your personality. Visit either of our offices in Issaquah or Kent, or contact us for more information.