Teeth straightening has grown into a treatment requested by people of all ages looking to perfect their smile and lead a more confident life. Along with an increased demand for adult braces there is now a much more receptive population who understand the incredible benefits and success rates that teeth straightening can generate.
Invisalign vs Six Month Smiles | The Big Braces Battle
Now a new dilemma enters the horizon. The dilemma of choice. You know that you want to get your teeth straightened but with which teeth straightening method? We understand the difficulties that choice can give. That is why we have developed this go to guide to help you make that all important decision about which treatment to opt for. In this case, we pip the two biggest teeth straightening brands against each other. Which is the perfect treatment for you: Six Month Smiles or Invisalign?
Invisalign | Clear Removable Aligners
Invisalign is an industry leader in the use of removable aligners to straighten teeth. These lightweight aligners are designed using 3D computer technology to fabricate several clear trays that will gradually move your teeth into the desired position. Every two weeks you will receive a new set of aligners. You wear these in a similar fashion to a gum shield and only take them out for specific situations such as eating. After two weeks is up, your teeth will have moved into the position of that particular aligner. At this point you are ready to change retainer and resume moving your teeth to the correct position. These retainers are nearly invisible to the eye and sit comfortably in your mouth. They are chosen by many due to their discreet appearance and ease of use.
Six Month Smiles | Discreet Fixed Braces
On the other end of the teeth straightening tug-of-war is Six Month Smiles. This pioneering smile solution is incredibly good at straightening teeth. The fixed brace allows for a skilled dentist to make finite adjustments to move your teeth in the right direction. Although this brace is not clear like the Invisalign aligner, it is white in colour. This means that the brace is barely noticeable at all. The brace may have been branded ‘Six Month Smiles‘ but in fact, in many cases your teeth will be perfectly straight in months less than this. It really depends on your starting point. Nevertheless, Six Month Smiles is one of the fastest treatments on the market. Not only that but it is also one of the most precise. The dentist has full autonomy to make the tiniest of adjustments to your brace with each visit.
Now that we know a little about each cosmetic brace, let’s delve further into the details.
The five most important factors when considering which brace to opt for are in no particular order; suitability, speed of treatment, appearance, effectivity and the costs involved. Let’s compare the two systems over our 5 key areas.
Suitability
When we talk about suitability we refer to whether your specific case will work well with the chosen brace. For some of you, Six Month Smiles will be more suitable and for others Invisalign.
Invisalign
Invisalign is not ideal if you have a severe problem with your teeth. In such circumstances, a fixed orthodontic brace will usually be required. For example, the jaw needs to be shifted to correct large overbites. Invisalign cannot do this.
On the other hand, if your case is not too severe then Invisalign can correct a wide range of problems including; gapped teeth, crowded teeth, overbites, underbites and cross bites.
In terms of age, Invisalign will work best on older teenagers or adults who no longer have their teeth growing.
It is also important to note that these braces are removable. If you do not feel a strong commitment to correcting your teeth then you may end up not wearing the trays for as long as you should. In which case you are better off opting for a fixed brace that move the temptation of not wearing it.
Have you tried Invisalign’s smile assessment? Take the free test to see if you are a good candidate for Invisalign.
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles can solved any of the issues that Invisalign can, although with a little more effectively. This is due to the control the dentist has over individual movements. However, Six Month Smiles is best at fixing issue with your front teeth, if there are severe issues with your molars then you will most likely need a different form of brace. In any case you should consult your local orthodontist for a better understanding on what treatment is best for you.
Speed
The first question to leave many patient’s lips is – how long will I have to wear them for? A fair question but one that is difficult to answer!
Invisalign
Invisalign is typically worn for around 12 months. You will need to wear your removable trays for 22 hours a day in order to meet this target. But please remember that the figure of 12 months is very general, it may be more and it may be less. It all depends on the individual and how much their teeth need to be adjusted. It is also commonplace for a patient to reach their projected treatment time only to realise they are still months off due to them not sticking to the 22 hour rule!
Six Month Smiles
Speed is one of the biggest selling points for Six Month Smiles and it is all in the name! Yes, you can have straight teeth in just 6 months. Again, this is an estimate. Some cases are complete in just 4 months and some take a little longer.
Appearance
The discreet appearance of most new orthodontic treatment is a huge factor in the increasing popularity of the cosmetic dental industry. Gone are the days when a brace would fit over the entire head. Now, we can adjust finite details such as colour.
Invisalign
Where Six Month Smiles‘ main selling point is speed. The appearance is Invisalign’s – and yes, it’s all in the name. Your Invisalign clear aligners are see through and nearly invisible. Some patients have gone through an entire treatment plan of 12 months without their family even realising that they had been wearing a brace!
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles does not neglect the appearance of the brace either. The colour is as close to the teeth as can be and this means that your brace is barely noticeable unless someone is looking fairly close up. As far as fixed braces go, Six Month Smiles is leading the way in terms of aesthetic appearance.
Effectiveness
People often assume that a brace is a brace and it will do the same job as any other brace. Well, each brand of brace works in its own way and that means, although they all do their job, some will work better than others for you.
Invisalign
Invisalign has understood the importance of intricate tiny adjustments in the movements of each individual teeth. As Invisalign is a clear aligner treatment, it is difficult to quite replicate the detail of a fixed brace. However they have done a very good job at getting close. Before your Invisalign trays are fabricated, your dentist goes through many rounds of adjustments with the practitioners at Invisalign. Their 3D technology allow the dentist to see exactly where each tooth will move. This enables him to be very accurate when deciding on the shape of each tray.
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles give your dentist more than enough to work with in terms of adaptability. If you have an experienced Six Month Smiles provider then these nifty braces will work wonders for your teeth. Your dentist will be able to adjust each bracket to craft that smile with ease and precision. For more in-depth cases you would be wise to pick a dentist who has covered many Six Month Smiles cases in the past. Experience is very important with this treatment. That is why, Dr Dan is so sought after – he is in fact the leading provider of Six Month Smiles treatment in Wales.
Cost
It is important to look at the price of each treatment. Although it is difficult to give an exact value due to the wide range of teeth out there needing different amounts of treatment, we can give you a rough estimate to help guide you.
Invisalign
The more costly of the two braces, Invisalign braces are usually priced between 2.5k and 5k. This is at the higher end of the market but as with any of our cosmetic treatment, a monthly payment plan is available to our patients.
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles treatment comes in much lower than Invisalign at a price between 1100 to 2500. This is often due to the fact that you will spend less time in the dentist’s chair with treatment lasted around 6 months rather than sometimes 3 times that in the case of Invisalign.
A Tough Decision…
Hopefully this guide has helped you understand more about the options available to you. There is no one best teeth straightening solution. It really is down to your individual preferences!