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Braces colors: how to pick your bands

The little elastic rings around each bracket are yours to choose, and you get to change them at every visit. Here is how to pick a color you will still like in six weeks.

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A smiling teen girl with braces on her way to class
A close view of braces with colored elastic bands

What the colors actually are

Each bracket is held to the archwire by a small elastic ring called a ligature. Those rings are what you see when someone has colored braces, and they are replaced at every adjustment visit as a matter of routine.

That means the color is never a permanent decision. If you pick something and decide you are done with it, the next visit is a clean slate.

Kids smiling outdoors at sunset

Picking a color you will still like

A few things that reliably work: school or team colors, something seasonal, or two shades alternated around the arch. Deeper colors like navy, emerald and deep purple create contrast against enamel, which tends to flatter the smile.

Think about the six weeks ahead too. Class photos, a recital, a wedding, a game. It is worth choosing with the calendar in mind.

An adult woman with clear braces speaking in a work meeting

The ones that stain

Clear and white ligatures look sharp on day one and pick up color fast from coffee, tea, curry, tomato sauce and berries. If you want something light that holds up, a pale silver or pearl is the safer pick.

Very dark brown and deep green can read as food caught in the braces from across a room, and yellow or gold sits close to natural tooth shade. None of these will hurt anything, they just photograph differently than people expect.

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The color chart, group by group

Offices stock a similar range of ligature shades. Here is how the common groups tend to look once they are on, so you can shortlist a couple before your visit.

Blues and purples

Navy, royal, sky blue, teal, lavender and deep purple. The darker end of this group gives the most contrast against enamel, which is what makes a smile read brighter in photos.

Greens

Emerald, forest, mint and turquoise. Emerald and turquoise photograph well. Very dark green is the one to think twice about, since from across a room it can read as food caught in the brackets.

Reds, pinks and oranges

Scarlet, maroon, hot pink, blush, coral and orange. The bright warm shades stand out in photos, and maroon is a steady pick that still works alongside most school colors.

Neutrals and metallics

Silver, pearl, smoke grey, clear and white. Silver and pearl are the quiet choices that hold up over six weeks. Clear and white look sharp on day one and pick up stain the fastest.

Yellows and golds

Lemon, gold and amber. These sit close to natural tooth shade, so they can make enamel read a little duller than it is. Worth holding against your own teeth before you commit.

Two-color combinations

Alternating two shades around the arch is a popular choice. School and team colors, holiday pairs, or one bright shade alternated with silver all work well.

Still deciding? You do not have to settle it in advance. The bands are replaced at every adjustment, so you get a fresh choice each visit. See braces for kids and teens.

The color wheel you will see in the chair

The shade names above come from the physical color ring that orthodontic offices keep on hand. It is a loop of ligature samples you can hold up against your own teeth, and it settles the question faster than any photo, because it shows the shade next to your enamel and under the same light. If you would like to see it before you choose, just ask.

A useful way to work through it: shortlist two or three groups from the chart above, then compare only those on the ring. Starting from the full set is where most people get stuck. And if you change your mind a few weeks in, the next adjustment is a clean slate.

One thing worth knowing before you look. The colors on the ring are the bands, not the brackets. Clear braces change the bracket itself to a tooth-colored ceramic, which is a separate decision from band color and one your doctor will walk through at your evaluation.

Common questions about braces colors

Ask us anything
What are braces colors actually made of?
They are small elastic rings called ligatures. Each one holds the archwire into the slot on a bracket. They come in a wide range of shades, and choosing them is the fun part of an adjustment visit.
How often can I change my braces colors?
At every adjustment visit, which is usually every four to eight weeks. The ligatures are replaced each time anyway, so picking a new color costs nothing and takes no extra time.
Which braces colors make teeth look whiter?
Deeper, cooler shades tend to flatter tooth color: navy, deep purple, emerald, and darker blues create contrast that makes enamel read brighter. Very light shades sit close to tooth color and can have the opposite effect.
Do braces colors stain?
Some do. Clear and white ligatures pick up color from coffee, tea, curry, tomato sauce and berries, and they show it quickly. If you want something light, a pale silver or pearl shade holds up better than true white.
What colors should I avoid?
Clear and white if you drink coffee or tea. Dark brown and very dark green can read as food caught in the braces from a distance. Yellow and gold sit close to natural tooth shade, so they can make teeth look duller than they are.
Can adults get colored braces?
Absolutely, and plenty do. If you would rather braces stay quiet, silver or a shade close to your tooth color keeps them low key, and clear braces are another option worth asking about. See braces for adults.
Do clear braces have colors too?
Yes. Clear braces use the same ligatures, so you can still choose a shade. Many adults pick clear or pearl to keep the whole thing discreet, and change to something brighter for a holiday.
Can I mix two colors?
Yes, and it is one of the most popular choices. Alternating two shades, or matching school or team colors, works well. Just tell the team what you want at your visit.
Is there a braces color chart I can look at?
Yes. The groups on this page cover the shades commonly stocked: blues and purples, greens, reds and pinks and oranges, neutrals and metallics, and yellows and golds. At your visit you can see the actual set and hold shades against your teeth before choosing.
What color braces should I get?
Start with what is coming up in the next six weeks, since that is roughly how long a set stays on. School or team colors, a seasonal shade, or two colors alternated are all easy choices. If you want your smile to look brighter, pick a deeper cool shade such as navy or emerald. If you would rather the braces stay quiet, silver or pearl.
Are the brackets colored, or just the bands?
Just the bands. Standard metal brackets are silver and stay silver for the whole of treatment, and the ligature around each bracket is the part that changes color at every visit. If you would rather the brackets themselves were less visible, that is what clear braces do, using tooth-colored ceramic brackets. You can still pick band colors with those.
Is there a braces color wheel I can use to choose?
In the office, yes. Orthodontic offices keep a physical color ring of ligature samples, and holding it against your own teeth is the most reliable way to judge a shade. This page groups the same shades so you can narrow it down to a couple of favorites before your visit.

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