Kids fall into two camps when it comes to dealing with the orthodontist. Not all who need braces are enthusiastic about wearing them, yet some can’t wait to sport a mouth full of metal at school.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, which represents more than 17,000 specialists in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, people under the age of 18 are visiting orthodontists in record numbers. A survey published in 2012 found a nearly 22 percent increase in youth patients over two years, with the total number of kids treated at its highest since data started being collected in 1982.

While newer dental technologies like clear plastic aligners and ceramic brackets are available as alternatives to traditional metal brackets connected with wire, these options are often much more expensive. For kids who want to get creative with their dental work — and adults who need braces and want to stand out from the crowd — local orthodontists offer decorative brackets that incorporate different shapes.

“It’s just something to make it a little more fun for the kids,” said Dr. Erik TinHan, an orthodontic specialist originally from New York with offices in Hawaii Kai and Pearl City. “A lot of times, orthodontists don’t want to do a different bracket because it’s more work. I don’t mind (because) it keeps them interested. Anything to get the kids slightly more motivated is a good thing.”

TinHan and Dr. Malia Kamisugi, an American Board of Orthodontics-certified orthodontist with offices in Honolulu and Kailua, offer brackets from WildSmiles, a Nebraska-based company that produces brackets in shapes like hearts, footballs, stars, flowers and diamonds. Kids can mix and match brackets, and different colors can be used for the ligatures (tiny rubber bands wrapped around each bracket) as well as larger rubber bands that connect the top and bottom rows of braces.

Pricing varies depending on the patient’s age and overall orthodontic needs, but kids don’t necessarily have to change doctors if they’ve already started treatment. After consulting with their doctor, families can order WildSmiles brackets directly via the Internet, with a set of six sold for $150 online. The company also branched out to create Mascotbraces.com, which sells officially licensed brackets with team logos from the University of Arkansas, University of Arizona, University of Oregon, University of Nebraska, Kansas University and Brigham Young University.

“Typically it’s a younger kid who is excited to get them on,” TinHan said of the WildSmiles brackets. “It’s a fashion accessory or something they think is cool.

“I’m always surprised more kids don’t want them. What they seem to be more interested in are the different colors. But some of the kids, they just want to go with regular, rectangular brackets. They don’t want anything different than what their friends have.”