Blog

When you are approaching a teeth straightening treatment, it’s important that you have all the information you need to prepare you for the journey ahead. Even with swift, modern methods of aligning the teeth, you are still going to have a treatment time of a few months or more. This means that you need to be able to integrate your treatment into your life. At Crofts Dental Practice, we provide plenty of support to help you do that.

When you enter the Six Month Smiles teeth straightening programme through our clinic, you will go through the following steps:

• Consultation – this is where we work together to gather all the information required to give you the results you want. You need to let us know what your expectations are and we will gather data about you and your oral conditions to help meet them. We send your information off to Six Month Smiles who return a custom-made set of braces for you to wear;
• Fitting – Six Month Smiles in Essex are fixed to your teeth for the duration of your treatment. We apply brackets to your teeth in the positions indicated by your treatment plan. We then thread a wire through these and keep it in place with elastics. With Six Month Smiles, all this equipment is clear or tooth-coloured so that it blends in with your teeth;
• Monitoring your progress – during your treatment, you will visit us approximately every six weeks so that we can keep an eye on your teeth and braces. We will make adjustments where necessary and ensure that you are happy and comfortable;
• Support and guidance – before you leave with your new braces, we give you detailed instructions on what you should experience at home and how you can care for your teeth and equipment. We are also on hand if you need support between appointments;
• Removal and aftercare – your braces are removed at the end of your treatment. Your teeth should not be unduly affected but you might benefit from a clean and polish at this point. You will then need to wear a retainer as you do after all teeth straightening treatments.

We all know what metal braces look like and the negative effect they can have on a person’s appearance and psychology. Despite their modern design which is more discreet and lightweight than it used to be and their overall effectiveness, adults are often reluctant to wear them, due to aesthetic and practical concerns.

Modern dentistry has evolved a lot over the years and now offers more options than ever for image-aware adults who want to straighten their teeth discreetly. At Crofts Dental Practice in Essex, we use Six Month Smiles to fit patients with accelerated braces that gently reshape and reposition their teeth in an average of six months. Six Month Smiles braces are a great treatment option for teenagers and adults who prefer a straighter smile without the hassle of metal braces.

Is it possible to straighten my teeth in only six months?

Six Month Smiles works just like regular braces but instead uses white tooth-colored or clear brackets and wires that are barely visible when you smile. However, unlike regular braces which generally require more time to help move your teeth into their position, Six Month Smiles braces focus only on the teeth that show when you smile and do not make any significant changes to your bite.

Moreover, the use of special titanium wires accelerates the process of teeth straightening considerably. Each patient is different, but in general, Six Month Smiles can give you a straighter smile in six months (or even less!).

Are Six Month Smiles more comfortable than metal braces?

Six Month Smiles is a low-force, teeth straightening system. Many people think that the accelerated treatment time means more pain, but that is far from the truth. Six Month Smiles gives an emphasis on the cosmetic appearance of teeth rather than bite position, therefore is not ideal for people who want to correct bite problems.

Who is eligible for Six Month Smiles braces?

If you can have metal braces, chances are that you are eligible for Six Month Smiles braces as well. The teeth straightening treatment is available for older teenagers and adults (15 years or older) who are looking to correct slightly crooked or spaced front teeth.