La Habra/Chino Hills, CA – If you are thinking about getting clear braces, or if you already have them, the fact that they’d be less noticeable in your mouth was probably one of the reasons you chose them. But if you don’t care for these braces properly, they may start to stain.

“Typically when people choose clear or ceramic braces, they are often also choosing clear ligatures,” says Dr. Robert Gire of Gire Orthodontics, a board certified orthodontic specialist in La Habra/Chino Hills. “Most ceramic brackets won’t discolor and it’s usually the clear ligatures that will become stained. The ligature is the tiny little elastic that holds the archwires to the brackets. They come in a variety of colors, but most patients with clear braces are opting for a more aesthetically pleasing look that won’t stand out. That is why most patients opt for clear ligatures.”

“My offices also offer Damon Clear braces, which is the height of aesthetics and function,” says Dr. Gire. “These braces are self-ligating or tie-less which means there are no ligatures, which in turn means less of a chance of staining. When wearing them, most patients find that others can barely even notice they are wearing braces.”

If someone prefers clear braces with the ligature ties, preventing these stains and keeping the braces as discrete as possible is not that difficult. Dr. Gire offers these tips for his patients and anyone considering clear braces with or without the ligature ties:

1. Brush your teeth after every meal.
This is the most important tip. Brushing your teeth after every meal ensures that you are brushing away any food particles or food residue left in your mouth that could cause stains.

2. Floss and rinse frequently
You can’t rely on just brushing, though – we all know there are hard to reach places in our mouths that our toothbrushes aren’t always effective at reaching. Floss after every meal and use mouthwash to ensure your mouth stays clean and fresh, and your braces have fewer chances of staining.
3. If you’re an adult, don’t smoke.
Not only is smoking harmful to your oral and overall health, nicotine can cause the ligatures or ties and braces to yellow in color. Nicotine also can stain your teeth, leaving white marks left in the areas the brackets were once your braces are removed.
4. Avoid food and drink with higher staining abilities.
We all know diets have to change slightly while in braces, and this is especially true if you wear ceramic or clear braces. Avoid foods such as tomatoes, mustard, coffee, soda and red wine. A good rule of thumb is, if it stains your tongue when you eat or drink it, it can stain your braces too.

5. Visit your orthodontist regularly for ligature changes.
To prevent the ligatures from staining, we need to change them often. Visit your orthodontist regularly to have them replaced so you can always have a fresh smile.

Braces play an important role in improving our oral health. They give us beautiful, effectively functioning smiles that can last a lifetime, but it is up to the patient wearing them to ensure an ideal outcome at the end of treatment. To have a successful time in orthodontic treatment, it is necessary to follow all of your orthodontist’s recommendations, including ways to avoid staining your clear braces.