Tooth-coloured fixed braces, explained
Ceramic Braces in Turkey
Ceramic braces work like metal braces, but the brackets are a hard, tooth-coloured material that blends in with your teeth. They can move teeth as well as metal ones. However, they still need regular adjustments and lifelong retainers, so plan your follow-up before you start treatment in Istanbul.
At a glance
- What they are
- Fixed braces with tooth-coloured ceramic brackets
- Moving teeth
- Can be as effective as metal braces
- Typical length
- Usually 18 to 24 months
- Adjustments
- Usually every 6 to 8 weeks
- Main trade-offs
- Harder to remove; can wear the teeth they touch
- Afterwards
- Retainers, so teeth do not move back
These points come from UK guidance and research reviews rather than from any one clinic. Your orthodontist confirms your plan after an in-person examination.
How ceramic braces work
Ceramic braces are fixed braces. Your orthodontist glues a small bracket to each tooth with tooth-coloured filling material. Then a thin wire runs through the brackets and slowly guides the teeth into place.
With metal braces, the brackets are stainless steel. With ceramic braces, they are a hard ceramic that matches the colour of your teeth. The wire can also be tooth coloured, so the brace is harder to spot. For this reason, many adults choose them.
Beyond the look, the brace works in the same way as a metal one. So the visits, the food rules and the length of treatment are much the same. Our guide to metal braces covers these basics in more depth.
- 1
Two kinds of ceramic bracket
Monocrystalline brackets come from a single crystal, while polycrystalline ones come from many. They differ in how clear they look at the start. Even so, both types changed colour to a similar degree in one study.
- 2
Brackets with a metal slot
Some ceramic brackets have a thin metal lining where the wire sits. In laboratory tests, this lining cut friction compared with all-ceramic brackets, although friction stayed higher than with metal.
- 3
How they look next to metal
In one survey of 199 adults, people rated ceramic brackets as more attractive than metal ones. Clear aligners and braces fitted behind the teeth scored highest.
Who ceramic braces suit
Only an examination, with X-rays and a check of your bite, can show which brace suits you. So treat these points as a guide for your first talk with an orthodontist.
Ceramic braces may suit you if
Ceramic braces may not suit you if
Ceramic braces vs metal braces vs clear aligners
All three can straighten teeth. Instead of one winner, each suits different cases, habits and priorities.
Your ceramic braces journey
Fixed braces take many months, not days. A short trip to Istanbul can start treatment, but it cannot replace the regular visits in between. So your orthodontist will agree a follow-up plan with you first.
- 1Online
Remote review
First, you send photos of your smile and bite and any recent X-rays. Then a dentist explains whether fixed braces or aligners may suit you.
- 2Trip 1
Examination and fitting ceramic braces
Next, your orthodontist examines you, takes records and agrees the plan with you. After that, they bond the brackets and fit the first wire.
- 3Every 6-8 weeks
Adjustments to your ceramic braces
Meanwhile, the brace needs an adjustment about every 6 to 8 weeks. You and your orthodontist agree who does these visits, in Istanbul or near home.
- 4If needed
Repairs to loose brackets
If a bracket comes loose, it needs fixing. In one study, each extra failed bracket added about 0.6 months to treatment.
- 5Final trip
Removing ceramic braces
Once your teeth reach their planned position, your orthodontist removes the brackets with care. Ceramic ones take a little more effort than metal.
- 6At home
Retainers for the long term
Finally, you wear retainers to hold the result. Your dentist or orthodontist near home can check them over the years.
Living with ceramic braces
Cleaning around ceramic braces
Brush with fluoride toothpaste in the morning, at night and after meals. Also, use an interdental brush every day between your teeth and under the wire.
Food and breakages
Avoid hard, crunchy or sticky foods, because they can break a brace. In addition, do not chew gum, as it can get stuck.
Staining of ties and brackets
Clear elastic ties stained in all brands tested after 30 days, although the degree varied between people. In a second study, ceramic brackets also changed colour after 3 months.
Retainers after ceramic braces
Teeth tend to drift back once braces come off. So the longer you wear retainers, the longer your teeth stay straight. Your orthodontist will suggest a fixed or removable type.
Risks and limits of ceramic braces
Ceramic braces share the usual risks of fixed braces, which our metal braces guide explains. On top of these, the hard ceramic brings a few trade-offs of its own.
Most of the evidence on these trade-offs comes from small studies or laboratory tests. Therefore, ask your orthodontist how they apply to your teeth and your bite.
Ceramic is very hard. In a lab test, ceramic brackets wore away much more enamel from the opposing tooth than metal ones. For this reason, UK guidance says they are sometimes not advised on lower teeth when the bite is deep.
Ceramic brackets need more force to remove than metal ones. One review found they may cause more enamel cracks at removal. Even so, UK guidance says damage to healthy teeth is unlikely in most cases.
Studies disagree here. In one cohort, patients with ceramic brackets lost more of them than those with metal. However, one small trial found the opposite.
In lab tests, ceramic brackets caused more friction than metal, especially polycrystalline ones. Still, a small clinical study found no clear difference in how fast teeth moved.
Elastic ties can discolour between visits. In addition, one study found measurable colour change in ceramic brackets after 3 months in the mouth.
Without retainers, teeth tend to go crooked again. This applies to every type of brace.
What your ceramic braces plan should answer
Ask any clinic, including us, for clear written answers before you book.
- 1Are ceramic braces suitable for my bite, and will you place them on my lower teeth?
- 2Which type of ceramic bracket will you use, and does it have a metal slot?
- 3Who will adjust my brace every 6 to 8 weeks, and where?
- 4What happens if a bracket breaks or comes loose between trips?
- 5How will you remove the brackets to protect my enamel?
- 6How long do you expect treatment to take, and what could slow it down?
- 7Which retainer will I have, and who will check it after treatment?
Ceramic braces: your questions
For moving teeth, UK guidance says they can be as effective. The main differences are the look, a slightly harder removal and a risk of wear to the teeth they touch.
The clear elastic ties can stain between visits. Also, one study found some colour change in the brackets themselves after 3 months.
Not necessarily. In lab tests, friction is higher, but a small clinical study found no clear difference in how fast teeth moved. However, each loose bracket can add time.
Sometimes. Yet with a deep bite, your orthodontist may avoid them there. That is because the hard ceramic can wear the upper teeth.
Both can work well. Aligners gave better gum scores and less early pain in one review. On the other hand, fixed braces did better in cases with extractions.
Often you can start treatment in Istanbul. Still, the brace needs adjustments every 6 to 8 weeks. So agree who will see you between trips before you begin.
Related guides
Medical review required before publication · General information only; it does not replace an examination, diagnosis or personalised treatment plan.
- British Orthodontic Society. Conventional fixed braces (patient information)
- NHS. Orthodontics (braces) (reviewed 2026)
- British Orthodontic Society. Clear aligners (patient information)
- British Orthodontic Society. Retainers (patient information)
- Alansari RA et al. Adult perceptions of different orthodontic appliances (2019)
- Stasinopoulos D et al. Failure patterns of different bracket systems and their influence on treatment duration (2018)
- Ogiński T et al. A clinical comparison of failure rates of metallic and ceramic brackets: a twelve-month study (2020)
- Hormozi B et al. Treatment outcomes, efficiency and complications of customized ceramic brackets compared with conventional fixed appliances (2026)
- Bhat KRR et al. Frictional resistance of ceramic and stainless steel brackets: an in vitro study (2022)
- Shaik JA, Guram G. Canine retraction with ceramic, metal-slot ceramic and metal brackets: a clinical study (2018)
- Viazis AD et al. Enamel abrasion from ceramic orthodontic brackets under an artificial oral environment (1990)
- Ghafari J. Problems associated with ceramic brackets suggest limiting use to selected teeth (1992)
- Namura Y et al. Inadvertent enamel wear caused by zirconia brackets (2022)
- Inchingolo F et al. Structural and color alterations of teeth following orthodontic debonding: a systematic review (2024)
- Gibas-Stanek M et al. What is the safest method of orthodontic debonding: a systematic review (2023)
- Nimplod P et al. Debonding strength of metal and ceramic brackets and enamel microcrack healing (2021)
- Kawabata E et al. Color changes of esthetic orthodontic ligatures evaluated by orthodontists and patients (2016)
- Polat ENA, Yilmaz B. Colour stability of monocrystalline and polycrystalline ceramic brackets: a prospective in vivo study (2026)
- Kaur K et al. Clear aligners versus fixed appliances on periodontal health, pain and quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2026)
- Alhafi ZM et al. Quality and stability of outcomes with clear aligners versus fixed appliances: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)
- Alhamwi AM et al. Duration of treatment with clear aligners versus fixed appliances in crowding cases: a systematic review (2024)
- Martin C et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces. Cochrane review (2023)
Are ceramic
braces right
for you?
Send a few clear photos of your smile and bite, plus any recent X-rays. A dentist will then explain whether ceramic braces, metal braces or aligners may suit you. They also explain how follow-up could work near home. Your plan stays provisional until you're examined in person.