Quick answer
Avoid yellow, gold, lime and orange if you want whiter-looking teeth, because they blend with the natural yellow in enamel. Avoid white and clear if you eat or drink strongly coloured food, because they stain within days. Bright green can look like food from a distance. Turquoise, burgundy, teal, dark green and silver are better swaps.
Why some colours backfire
- They match tooth yellow. Natural enamel has a slight yellow tint. Yellow, gold, lime and orange bands make it more obvious.
- They are lighter than teeth. White and clear bands are brighter than enamel, so teeth look darker and more yellow next to them.
- They stain. Pale, low-colour bands pick up curry, coffee, tea and cola within days.
- They look like something else. Bright green and brown can read as food from a distance.
Avoid this, try that
Each swap keeps a similar mood. The left picture is the colour to avoid, the right is the better choice, both on the same real smile.
Swap yellow for turquoise
Sunny and bright, but it blends with the natural yellow in enamel and makes teeth look less white. Turquoise scores 20 instead of 0.
Swap gold for burgundy
Warm metallic gold. Looks great with team colours, less great for whiteness. Burgundy scores 58 instead of 5 and has a stain risk of 0 instead of 6.
Swap lime for teal
Neon yellow-green. Very bright and very visible, and it pulls teeth toward yellow. Teal scores 36 instead of 0.
Swap orange for red
Bright orange. Fun for Halloween and team colours. It warms up the look of your teeth. Red scores 26 instead of 8.
Swap green for dark green
A bright grass green. Fun for team colours, though green can look like food stuck in teeth. Dark Green scores 42 instead of 14 and has a stain risk of 0 instead of 1.
Swap white for silver
Bright white bands make the enamel beside them look more yellow, and they stain quickly. Silver scores 22 instead of 0 and has a stain risk of 43 instead of 99.
Swap clear for gray
Almost invisible on day one, but clear bands absorb colour from food and drinks within days. Gray scores 38 instead of 1 and has a stain risk of 1 instead of 90.
What about black?
Black is sometimes listed as a colour to avoid, but the numbers disagree: it scores 74 for whiteness, behind only navy and dark purple, and it never shows stains. The real concern is looks. From a distance, black bands can read as gaps or food. If that worries you, navy gives the same whitening effect with a hint of blue. See how they compare in the best braces colors ranking.
If you love a colour on this list
You do not have to give it up. Alternate it with a dark, cool shade such as navy or dark purple. You keep the colour you like, and the dark bands pull the overall look back toward whiter teeth.
More pairings are in the 24 braces color combos, and the science behind the scores is on the whiter teeth page.
Try it on your own smile
Spin the wheel, mix two colours and see the Tooth Brightness score live.
Common questions
What braces color should I avoid?
Yellow, gold, lime, white and clear are the ones most people regret. Yellow, gold and lime blend with the natural yellow in enamel, and white and clear stain quickly. Each scores 5 or less on our Tooth Brightness Index.
Is green a bad color for braces?
Bright green can look like food stuck in your teeth from a distance and scores only 14 for whiteness. Dark green avoids the food look and scores 42, so it is the better green.
Is black a bad color for braces?
Not for whiteness: black scores 74, one of the highest. Some people feel black bands can look like gaps or food from a distance. Navy gives the same whitening effect with a hint of colour.
Why do pink braces turn orange or yellow?
Light pink bands absorb pigments from food and drink, especially curry, turmeric, tomato sauce and cola, which can tint them orange or yellow by the end of a cycle. Hot pink holds its colour better.
What are the worst braces colors for yellow teeth?
Yellow, gold, orange and lime, because they match the yellow already in your enamel and make it more obvious. White and clear also make yellowish teeth look darker by comparison.
