Choosing colors for your braces used to be a tedious affair. The only color options for those tiny elastic bands were dull and served no greater purpose than helping you get straighter teeth.
Thankfully, those days are past, and you now have access to hundreds of different shades, from maroon to glow-in-the-dark green bands.
If you’re planning on getting braces or changing your elastics soon, you may be wondering which colors suit you best, make your teeth look whiter, or match a holiday or event.
This article covers all the best braces colors to ensure you have fun and express yourself on the way to a perfectly beautiful smile.
Darker colors suit people with lighter skin tones, while lighter colors suit darker complexions.
Clear or silver braces and color combinations are the least noticeable options.
White or pale yellow braces could make your teeth look yellow.
Black, green, or brown braces may make it look like something is stuck in your teeth.
Invisible aligners make good alternatives for people who don’t want to maintain or wear metal braces.
Gone are the days when the only colors you could pick for your braces’ rubber bands were white, black, pink, or blue.
Nowadays, many braces color combinations are available for you to choose from, and there’s a good chance your orthodontist has a braces color wheel with all the shades you can use. The most popular shades are maroon and blue-black for adults and brightly colored bands for teens [1].
Whether you choose bright colors, a color combination, or clear bands, here are some of the best braces colors available.
There is no limit to your creativity when choosing the colors and color combinations for the rubber bands around your braces. However, there are a few shades that are very popular among girls, including:
Although many boys like braces colors such as dark blue or black, many other shades would look great, including:
Adult braces wearers often choose a neutral color or clear or silver bands. The best options for adults who need to look professional while wearing braces include:
Many adults in need of teeth alignment opt for clear braces or aligners, which are discussed in detail further below.
One of the best ways to make your teeth look whiter is by opting for darker colors or neutral color combinations. Dark shades of colors on the opposite side of yellow and orange on the color wheel make excellent options for braces bands if you’re looking to enhance the whiteness of your teeth.
Although there’s no limit on the color braces you can choose, some shades can enhance the yellow tint of your tooth enamel.
The braces color options that make your teeth look yellow include:
Choosing the best colors for the rubber bands around your braces’ metal brackets doesn’t follow any specific rules. However, even though you’re free to pick any color you like, some shades may suit you better, or particular color combination ideas could fit special events or holidays.
Some of our favorite options are listed below.
Choosing the color of your rubber bands according to your skin tone could complement your complexion.
Darker complexions are well-complemented by lighter colors like:
Lighter complexions suit braces with darker colors. Some of the best options include:
Matching your braces to the closest holiday can also be a lot of fun. Try a red and green combination for Christmas, blue and red for the fourth of July, or even glow-in-the-dark braces bands for Halloween.
Other holiday colors to choose from include:
If you’re looking for braces color combinations to complement your eyes, consider the following:
If you play with or support a sports team, consider showing your team spirit by matching your brace bands to their colors.
If you’re still in school and want to show school pride, matching the colors of your uniform, school flag, or crest could be a great option, too.
If you’re not interested in choosing colors or having metal and rubber as semi-permanent fixtures on your teeth, clear braces or aligners may be the right choice for you, with benefits including:
Unlike traditional metal braces, invisible aligners are made of strong, BPA-free plastic molded to help align your teeth and ensure you end up with a beautiful smile. Although they are effective, not all transparent aligner brands are FDA-approved, and many orthodontists and dentists warn against using mail-order aligners without proper consultation.
There are various clear aligner brands around, but each works quite similarly and allows you to order either through your dentist or online after taking at-home dental impressions.
Some of the advantages of using invisible aligners include:
Invisible aligners are almost impossible to see as they are made with transparent plastic. This makes them an excellent choice for working professionals or people who want to straighten their teeth without drawing attention to the fact.
Some of the best invisible braces are listed in our comprehensive review.
Invisible aligners are removable and only need to stay in your mouth for a specific number of hours each day. This makes it easy to maintain your oral health and allows you to eat and drink whatever you want without anything getting stuck in your teeth.
Invisible aligners are typically meant for mild to moderate orthodontic treatment and can, therefore, decrease your treatment time from years to just a few months.
Some invisible aligners have products specialized for nighttime use, making teeth alignment a less disruptive process.
For more information on these invisible braces, take a look at our nighttime clear aligners review.
Invisible aligners can be more effective than braces in segmented teeth movement [2]. For mild to moderately crowded or widely spaced teeth, aligners could work faster and be more successful in long-term maintenance if the provided clear retainers are worn as directed.
Achieving teeth straightening with invisible aligners requires far fewer dentist trips as each aligner is custom-made to fit a dentist-approved treatment plan. There is no need for check-ups unless you need something about the alignment process changed and need to visit a dentist for a new scan or impression.
Although aligners offer a good alternative to traditional metal braces, they do have their disadvantages, including:
Most invisible aligners require brushing your teeth up to four times a day, regular flossing, and using denture tablets to clean each aligner tray after use.
For some, this level of maintenance can be a disadvantage compared to braces, despite regular braces being more prone to getting food stuck in them.
Invisible aligners are not effective for severe cases calling for teeth straightening or issues such as crossbite correction. In this case, surgery or traditional braces may be the best and only viable option.
Buttons are small tooth-colored attachments fixed to your teeth to assist the movement and alignment during use for a clear aligner.
Below is a summary of the best invisible braces on the market.
Byte manufactures both daytime and nighttime invisible braces. They can be ordered from home after using an at-home impressions kit, and each package comes with a customized aligner tray, HyperByte alignment accelerator, teeth whitening agent, and access to five years worth of retainers once your treatment is complete.
For more information about Byte daytime or nighttime aligners, check out our Byte Aligners review.
AlignerCo also produces both daytime and nighttime aligners. Each aligner package comes with an impression kit, clear aligners, and a set of retainers to use once your treatment is complete.
AlignerCo doesn’t take insurance, so if that’s a dealbreaker, Byte may be the best option for you.
If you want more information on AlignerCo clear braces, check out our AlignerCo review.
Invisalign is arguably the most well-known and most expensive clear aligner brand around. They can only be recommended by a dentist after an in-person consultation and cost much more than any other option on this list. Your aligner trays are replaced every two weeks to keep your teeth moving and straightening.
Invisalign can take much more time and end up being less affordable than other invisible aligners. Byte offers similar results in a much shorter period and at a much lower price.
Read this article if you’re looking for an Invisalign alternative.
Here are the most commonly asked questions about braces band colors.
Choosing colors for your braces can be a fun way of expressing your personality and creativity. There is no absolute right or wrong choice, and as long as the band colors don’t make your teeth look yellow or leave people wondering if you have a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth, the sky’s the limit.
>>Check out the best price for Byte aligners
