Six Month Smiles

How it Works

Six Month Smiles™ braces can comfortably straighten your teeth and give you that attractive, pleasant smile you’ve always wanted. Benefits include:

• Free Orthodontic care kit given at first appointment
• Excellent finish in mild, moderate and severe cases
• Transforms smiles in just a few months.
• Quick results with low force technique.
• Clear braces not easily noticed.
• Wires are tooth-coloured and very small
• Cost and commitment is less than traditional braces, and require fewer visits to the dentist.
• Discomfort is minimal as teeth are gently repositioned
• Uses latest technology

When you receive your set of rapid braces, you will be pleased to see that the brackets and wires are tooth-colored and inconspicuous. Another great advantage to Six Month Smiles™ is that the braces are extremely comfortable. The short term orthodontic system exerts a constant, low-pressure that gently moves your teeth into proper alignment. Brief monthly visits are needed to check your progress and address any questions or concerns that you may have. Treatment with Six Month Smiles™ works for virtually everyone who needs teeth straightened, although some exceptions remain.

Common Questions

Six months sounds good, but will I still have a mouth full of metal for the whole time?
No! These are nothing like metal braces! When you receive your set of rapid braces, you will be pleased to see that the brackets and wires are tooth-coloured, small and barely visible.

How can teeth be straightened in only six months?
The Six Month Smiles™ technique employs the latest technology and techniques in dentistry to move your teeth quickly and safely. The key components of the treatment are the use of special nickel titanium wires and a primary focus of moving the teeth that show when you smile. There will be an excellent finish each and every time because of its designed ability to simultaneously move teeth in all directions (unlike clear braces and Inman Aligner). Treatment times fall within 4-9 months. We will inform you along the way as every mouth is different.

How are Six Month Smiles™ more comfortable than regular braces?
Many people think that the accelerated treatment means simply “tightening” regular braces to get the teeth moving, but that is not true. Six Month Smiles™ utilizes standard orthodontic mechanics, but with an emphasis on the cosmetic appearance of your teeth rather than the position of your bite. Discomfort is minimal as teeth are gently repositioned. No heavy forces are used. The treatment becomes easier and more comfortable day by day.

Do Six Month Smiles™ braces damage the teeth, roots, or gums?
There are no more risks of root damage or other issues than those associated with traditional orthodontics. Since the forces used with Six Month Smiles™ braces are lighter and teeth are seldom extracted, there are actually even fewer risks involved with Six Month Smiles™ orthodontics.

What’s the catch?
There is no catch. If you are an adult (15 years and older) with crooked or spaced teeth and you’re not looking for a major alteration to your bite, this could be the solution for you! Most adults are candidates for Six Month Smiles™. It is conservative, inexpensive and highly effective. Brief monthly visits let us check your progress and address any questions or concerns that you may have. There are some rare situations in which movement of the back teeth can cause unhelpful changes in bite. Some patients are unaware they have acute/ chronic trauma to their joints caused by clenching teeth (bruxism) or parafunction. We can provide more details during your initial consultation.

Will I have to wear a retainer?
Yes, as with any teeth-straightening treatment a retainer is necessary to maintain the straighter position of your teeth. At River Lawn Dental & Implant Centre we use fixed bonded retainers attached to the inside/back of your teeth, as well as removable clear retainers (usually only worn at night) for every patient.
The short term orthodontic system exerts a constant, low-pressure force that gently moves your teeth into proper alignment.

What’s Involved

Orthodontic treatment with 6 Month Smiles

After you have had an extensive oral health assessment, we will schedule a number of visits for you to ensure that you are dental-ready for Orthodontic treatment, and the 6 Month Smiles system of Orthodontic treatment that has been decided upon.

Impression visit:

Impressions of your top and bottom teeth are taken, as well a number of photographs to document your treatment. These impressions of your teeth and a list of instructions specific to your mouth and treatment needs are sent to the relevant laboratory so that your Orthodontic braces can be processed. With the Six Month Smiles brace, the bracket positions and relevant nickel titanium wires are chosen on an individual basis and secured to your mouth models, ready to be fitted to your teeth. This is done using advanced 3-D computer imaging technology.

Fit Braces visit:

Usually 3-4 weeks after the impressions have been taken, the tooth coloured brackets are cemented on to your teeth using dental adhesive materials (all of this adhesive is removed when the braces are being taken off at the end of your course of treatment). Tooth slenderisation (also known as IPR-inter-proximal reduction) is normally done at this visit, and this is where a minimal amount of tooth slenderisation/trimming between the teeth is done to facilitate the movement of your teeth, to allow them to slide gently and evenly around each other for example. The tooth coloured wires are secured to the tooth coloured brackets by using tiny, clear elasticated bands.

Interim visits/review visits:

The brackets are fixed to your teeth and so cannot be removed for eating or cleaning. Total treatment time averages 6-9 months for the fixed orthodontic braces. You’ll be scheduled to visit us every 4-6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned.

Final Visit:

Congratulations! After around 6-9 months of wearing the cosmetic fixed Orthodontic braces as prescribed, you’re finished and will now have the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted. We use permanent retention for every orthodontic patient, which will be in the form of a discreet wire bonded to the inside of your teeth, as well as a clear aligner worn at night.

End Of Treatment

Removal of Brackets

Once a Fixed appliance has done its job, it needs to be removed. A removal tool is used to break the bond between the brackets and the teeth. The appliance is removed and any remaining adhesive is then removed.

Bonded Wire Retainer

After orthodontic treatment, teeth can sometimes return to their natural position. Retention is required to stabilise a fixed outcome. A bonded wire retainer will hold your teeth in place permanently. A wire is bonded to the back of the front lower or upper teeth and a bonding material is cured with a bright light.

Removable retainer

After a fixed appliance has correctly positioned the teeth, a custom-made retainer is produced which will keep the teeth in the desired position.

How To Clean

Orthodontic brushes provide a longer filament head to improve access around appliances. Use gentle but direct brushing to include the appliance and tooth surfaces. Interdental brushes clean simply and effectively around brackets and wires, and simple adaptation of the brushes helps clean tooth surfaces and the appliance. Single tufted brushes are useful for difficult-to-access areas. Filaments can be splayed onto the tooth surface and under the gum margins.