These colors are trending for ortho patients

Braces boost the aesthetic appeal of patients' teeth in the long run, but how can you help patients pick orthodontics that don't cramp their style in the meantime? Texas and Oklahoma clinicians recently shared the colors that are trending among patients with braces.

Clinicians should help patients choose braces based on several factors, according to a press release issued by dental service organization (DSO) Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics, which operates more than 70 practices in the Lone Star State and the Sooner State.

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Using online responses, as well as data gathered from Jefferson's orthodontic offices, clinicians at the DSO determined that the following were the overall most popular colors among its patients:

• Lavender
• Black
• Teal

Among youth, the top colors were lavender, baby blue, and black. Meanwhile, the top colors for men were red and silver, and the most popular colors favored by women were light pink and purple, according to the release.

But how do patients' color preferences in Texas and Oklahoma compare with what's trending in the U.S. and Canada? Patrick O'Shea, a national key accounts manager at orthodontic material supplier GC Orthodontics, said that silver, black, light blue, navy blue, red, and hot pink are among the top colors in the U.S. and Canada.

"Adult patients tend to prefer subtle colors like silver or black, whereas kids and teens enjoy expressing themselves through color," O'Shea said.

For patients who want more guidance beyond what colors are popular, orthodontists can ask the following questions:

1. What color complements their hair and eye colors and skin tones?
2. Which colors make their teeth appear the whitest?
3. Does the patient want to match the seasons or holidays in which they are undergoing orthodontic treatments?
4. Do they want to match the colors of their favorite sports teams?
5. Do they want a shade that is compatible with their astrological sign?

"Keep in mind that darker colors make your teeth look whiter," Dr. Yu-Tien Lin, a lead orthodontist at a Jefferson practice in Texas, said in the release. "We also always advise our patients not to choose white, as it's prone to staining."