Adult braces - six month smile vs regular braces

artemist

Hi there, new to the forum

I’m in need of advice. I’m looking to get clear adult braces, I’ve had a consultation with one orthodontist who’s website and clinic claims to offer six month smile (which is what I’m after) but when I had the consultation he basically said he didn’t like doing it, it’s just a gimmicky brand name and clear adult braces he can offer are better. They’re also more expensive. I’m confused if he’s actually recommended this because they’re better for me or if it’s because it costs more money and I’d assume his practice would get more of the money since it won’t be through six month smile?? I’m not sure how it works. I also went on the six month smile website and used the “find a dentist” search to find providers of sixth month smile on their website and my dentist I went to for this consultation was NOT on that list, which makes me suspicious that he advertises that they offer it but then convince people to get clear adult braces through him instead??

I’ve got another consultation with a different orthodontist tomorrow who IS on the list of six month smile providers. I’m just wondering how much stock to put into this first guys opinion that the six month smile isn’t for me. He said all this before giving me any kind of examination and although I asked many times why it wouldn’t be suitable for me I got general non-specific answers like “oh I don’t like the brackets” and “well, I’m trying to tell you, I think the clear adult braces are the ones” and mentioned not liking having a time limit (I know six month smile isn’t definitely six months only and said this MANY times, the main reason I want six month smile is because it’s meant to be cheaper and also because I’m a uni student who will be home from uni May-October and would like to get the majority of the time the braces are on out the way in the summer when I’m not at uni and I am guaranteed to be in one place for a long time as I go to uni on the opposite side of the country).

Has anyone had six month smile braces? Are they actually good? Do you think this guy is just trying to get me to agree to regular braces because he actually isn’t licensed to do SMS? Its unclear if providers not listed on their website are genuine or not. Again, this guy was VERY clear he would not offer me SMS even though that’s the reason I made the appointment and made it clear that’s what I wanted when I booked the appointment

Thanks for any help! Sorry for length!

brook2jack

All clear aligned systems eg 6 months smiles, Invisalign etc have limitations. They cannot move teeth far , they only tilt, they are for front teeth movements only, they are more likely to relapse than other systems.

The gold standard is still brackets (train tracks) type of braces. This takes time (12 to 18 months) and visits every 6 to 8 weeks.

There are other types of braces around and you have done the right thing seeing an orthodontist who uses many systems rather than a dentist who just uses one system.

A second opinion is a good idea if you are not happy with the first orthodontists opinion.

The manufacturers lists tend to comprise of people who do a lot of their cases. An orthodontist has a postgraduate qualification that has taken years to obtain so will be qualified to use any system. A general dentist will train in maybe only one system .

Toothsmith

What Brook said.

It does sound like you've not been that impressed with this first orthodontist, which is sad, but it is important you go with someone you're happy with & trust.

There are various 'quicky' orthodontic systems around, and all of them market themselves at 'ordinary' general dentists with short courses at weekends and help with treatment planning cases, and making the appropriate appliances (Braces) for them. They also have big marketing budgets aimed directly at patients through magazines & internet groups so that these systems are in patient's minds, and become the systems they ask for.

But as Brook said, they are not 'better' than conventional train-track braces which (Unless it's a really simple misalignment) give far better results.

You did right going to an orthodontist rather than a general dentist for your opinion. An orthodontist has done extensive study on all the different ways to shuffle teeth around and will know the pros & cons of all of them.

A general dentist who has done a short course in one or two 'quicky' systems will not have this depth of knowledge. There is a saying "When the only tool in your box is a hammer, all problems look like a nail" This is very much the case if a dentist only knows one way of shuffling teeth. They try to bend every problem to fit their solution. This doesn't always work out for the best.

If you want your teeth straight for the long term, then find someone with a big toolbox, and be guided by them. A couple of years of bracework is, in the grand scheme of things, a very small price to pay for a good result. But you need to be confident that it's the result that is being sold to you rather than the price of getting there. So a second opinion with another orthodontist sounds like a good idea.

sazzabox

brook2jack i challenge what you say. I'm nearing the end of my invisalign treatment and can honestly say its changed my life!
I believe that you can't achieve this without visiting a licenced orthodontist so i don't agree with the six month smiles due to not being able to physically see someone and have your mouth examined as alot of tweaks are needed to ensure the teeth sit right in position (filing of teeth etc to make room)
If you need picture proof, i'll drop one in!

Undervalued

sazzabox wrote: »

brook2jack i challenge what you say. I'm nearing the end of my invisalign treatment and can honestly say its changed my life!
I believe that you can't achieve this without visiting a licenced orthodontist so i don't agree with the six month smiles due to not being able to physically see someone and have your mouth examined as alot of tweaks are needed to ensure the teeth sit right in position (filing of teeth etc to make room)
If you need picture proof, i'll drop one in!

Forgive me being cynical, but I assume you will be posting links to a wonder dental practice once you have enough posts?

sazzabox

Very cynical way to look at things. My old account I had on here no longer works.

I decided I hated the way my teeth looked and just wanted to recommend the way invisalign changes your life if someone else is unhappy with their teeth too, like i was.

Toothsmith

It's the process of orthodontics that changes your life if you have such concerns.

The points that have been made by both Brook and I on threads like these are that Invisalign is just one tool in the orthodontics box. It is also a rather hyped tool, and one that doesn't always do what it promises to.

The best way to find the best orthodontic treatment for any individual case would be to see somebody who knows how to use a range of tools. This may be a specialist orthodontist, or it might be a general dentist who has done further courses on orthodontics that involves more than just doing a couple courses in a single treatment 'system'.

For you, Invisalign has done what you want, and you are happy. That doesn't mean everybody will be quite as lucky.

A properly trained dentist or an orthodontist will be able to offer Invisalign if that is the best treatment for an individual. A dentist only trained in Invisalign will not know if there is a better/cheaper/quicker way to do something - or indeed if a particular problem really shouldn't be tackled with Invisalign

welshdent

Invisalign is just a brand name for a system of moving teeth around. An orthodontist with fixed brackets can do exactly the same job and more. Aligner systems of which invisalign is one of them have a role to play but its not just because its "invisalign". It just a well marketed system that is accessible to general dentists as well as orthodontists.