Ice Clear orthodontic brackets were designed to help patients wear their braces discretely and give them an attractive finish. Sometimes known as Sapphire or Radiance braces, they consist of ceramic brackets intended to match the colour of the patient’s teeth, making the braces harder to spot, and therefore less embarrassing to wear.
Although there are reasons to have these braces, many orthodontic patients have found that they don’t always live up to expectations. Read on to discover why!
Problems with ice clear ortho brackets
The main problem with these brackets is the colour of the ceramic used to fix the wire to the teeth. There are two sub-sets of this problem; the first where the ceramic is far too white, making your teeth look yellow or brown beside them, and the second being that the ceramic is easily stained after a couple of months of regular use. For this reason, we advise staying clear from known stain-causing foods – we will always advise our patients on best practices with braces to ensure treatments run as smoothly as possible.
The second issue for orthodontic patients is the cost of these Ice Clear brackets. Because they are made out of ceramic and designed to match your teeth, they are not as cheap as other alternative brackets, and this can put them out of the reach of some people who need to have their teeth straightened.
How to avoid these problems
If you are concerned that Ice Clear brackets might be too problematic for you, you might instead decide to look at other options in braces. Not all braces have to be unattractive, and you can solve the problem of appearance immediately by using lingual braces, which go behind the teeth rather than at the front. You might also consider the Invisalign alternative, which involves modelled aligners, rather like gumshields, worn over the teeth for a certain period. The aligner’s position helps to move the teeth and help give you a straighter, better smile. These are both good alternatives to Ice Clear brackets.
