Six Month Smiles

This describes a type of brace which is able to re-position crooked or badly aligned teeth in a six month period – hence the name. It is an ideal choice of brace for anyone who needs some form of tooth correction but is not prepared to undergo treatment over a period of two to three years.

This is one of several fast acting braces which help to treat misaligned teeth in a smaller period of time. Other options include Invisalign, Damon braces, Inman Aligner and ClearStep.

What does the Six Month Smiles look like?

It consists of small brackets and wires but these are tooth coloured (or white) so will blend in with the rest of your teeth. They are not transparent as compared to Invisalign but nevertheless, they are hardly noticeable.

They are not to be compared to the ‘train track’ type of brace. This brace is smaller and lighter and works well on crooked or badly spaced teeth.

How does Six Month Smiles work?

This brace uses a small amount of force to shift your teeth into the desired position. It contains nickel titanium wires which are discreet and applies constant pressure when worn. This pressure causes the teeth to move into their correct position.

This means a series of small but noticeable changes to your teeth.

You will need to wear a retainer once the treatment has been completed to maintain the new position of your teeth. This is fixed to your teeth and worn on a permanent basis or as a removable retainer.

This brace moves those teeth which are on display when you smile.

Advantages of Six Month Smiles

This is a small, light and unobtrusive brace which can treat any of the following conditions:

• Misaligned teeth
• Overbite
• Underbite
• Crossbite
• Overcrowded teeth
• Gaps between the teeth

Other benefits include a speedier treatment period which is relatively painless and cheaper than other types of braces.

Disadvantages of Six Month Smiles

This is not recommended for everyone and your suitability will be decided by your dentist. 

It affects your speech to begin with which also increase salivation at that time. You may find that you have a tendency to drool when speaking.

This is mainly a cosmetic type of brace which improves the appearance of your smile but does not address the orthodontic problem, e.g. an overbite.

Plus it means having to wear a retainer which is off-putting for some people.

How is the Six Month Smiles fitted?

This is a similar procedure to that for many other types of braces. It starts with an initial consultation between you and the dentist in which you both discuss your orthodontic requirements.

It involves a series of stages in which you progress from the initial discussion through to the final fitting and adjustments.

Before the brace is fitted you may need to undergo some dental work such as teeth extraction although this is likely to be rare. The aim is to ensure that your teeth are in good condition to receive the brace.

Once the brace has been fitted you will undergo a few adjustments to make sure that it is correctly in place. Plus you will be fitted with a retainer as well which prevents your teeth from moving back out of position.

This treatment will also include frequent check ups to ensure that the brace is moving your teeth and advice about caring for your brace.