People prefer less metal in braces, researchers say, but orthodontists say that stainless steel braces are the most effective and easiest for them to handle.

"The paradox is that the more aesthetic these dental appliances are, the more difficult they are to manage for the orthodontist," senior study author Henry Fields, professor and division chair of orthodontics at Ohio State University, said in a statement Wednesday. "But those are what people like the most."

The survey of 200 adults used standardized images of teeth with various braces on them, asking respondents to rate the appliances as being unattractive or attractive.