If your choice is because of how it will look, think about why you are getting braces. Is it because to want and/or like braces? People will see the braces even if they are clear/ceramic. Ceramic is more costly. I have been told that ceramic is thicker because of the materials used. You will have metal archwires which will show anyways. Even the white archwires do show because they are coated and can flake off over time.

Right from the start of my treatment, I have always gone with colored powerchains and ligatures. They last few times I have told the assistants to surprise me with what colors to put on. I have told them that I do like bright colors and that I have had every color that they have during my treatment. I haven't had white or clear, but I have had all the others. I have said that it is unfortunate that they don't have rainbow powerchains

My advice is you are going to have braces, make them a part of who you are. Enjoy them for as long as you have them. If you go around trying to hide them, you will just make it more obvious that you have them. The only person it will matter to is you.

If you feel that you need to keep your look professional, go with silver, grey,white or clear ligatures and powerchains. Otherwise have fun with it, go with the colors.

Your teen family members would probably enjoy the colors on the metal brackets. Ask your wife what she thinks you should do, after all she is the one who is going to be seeing them the most. You will only see them in the mirror.


Braceface2015

I wanted metal all the way. I lucked out because my ortho didn’t think clear would work for me, which gave me a good excuse

I had clear braces when I was young. They were fare away from invisible.
So, when I will get braces next time, I will definetly take metal ones.
And I hopefully will also need some additional devices - at least a headgear.

My braces from the shop are great, but not beeing able to take them off in the morning
And not beeing able to hide them.... - oh what a dream ;-)

Traditional metal braces, if I was doing it.  I've never really liked the look of ceramic or invisible braces.  As others have said, they're not really invisible.  To me, they've always kind of looked like the person had food or something stuck to their teeth.  With metal braces, people see them and right away they know they're braces.

As an adult, I've known other adults who have gotten braces, and there are usually some comments from others for the first day or two, then everyone just sort of forgets about them.  No one really treats braces as a big deal.

It's tough - I'd love to get metal braces, hopefully with appliances and elastics. However, I'd be incredibly apprehensive about it and I have no interest - sometimes a dislike (maybe as I see orthodontia as an intrinsically sexy feminine thing) in braces on males.
I feel rather than the full cop out of invisalign (hate it) I'd get removable appliances, my teeth need orthodontic treatment so I'd get some interesting appliances which would be exciting for fun with my wife.
Either way, it'd be a crazy decision to make, just going to an orthodontist would be wild

Metal all the way!!!! Better full bands would be the ultimate dream come true!

Fantasy pushed aside, I would choose clear brackets.  I don't think I'd want to deal with Invisalign, remembering to wear them, keeping them extra clean, possible speech impediment.  Furthermore I'm sure brackets are able to make more fine tune adjustments than Invisalign is.