Are you unhappy with your smile because of crooked teeth? Does it make you reluctant to show your teeth in public? Maybe you avoid laughing, talking, or smiling when other people are around. Perhaps you go so far as to avoid occasions where your teeth might be on display, including eating out for personal or professional reasons.
If you’re concerned about your smile, Blue Bell cosmetic dentist Dr. Ken Siegel can help. At Dental Excellence of Blue Bell, we offer not just one, but two ways that adults can straighten their teeth. The only drawback is that it can sometimes be hard to decide which is best for you!
What Is Six Month Smiles?
Dental Excellence of Blue Bell offers Six Month Smiles, an orthodontic approach focused on achieving results in about six months. How does it work? Six Month Smiles embraces the “work smarter, not harder” philosophy. The designers of the concept noted two things about orthodontic treatment. First, most of the time, treatment is related to moving the large, square teeth at the back of the mouth called molars. Second, they realized that for most people, moving those teeth was unimportant. It did little to improve the appearance of your smile, which was the main reason why most people seek teeth straightening.
So they designed an approach to teeth straightening that uses traditional brackets and wires but focuses on the teeth at the front of your smile, which can be moved quickly and easily. This lets most people achieve a beautiful smile in about six months or less.
What Is Invisalign?
Dental Excellence of Blue Bell also offers Invisalign, an orthodontic approach that breaks away from the use of traditional brackets and wires. Instead, the approach uses clear plastic aligners to straighten your teeth. We’ll image your teeth as they are now, then send the results to Invisalign, where their powerful computer will analyze the steps necessary to move your teeth from where they are now to the desired positions in a straight smile.
Then they send us a set of aligners that will achieve each of the individual steps. You’ll wear each aligner for one or two weeks until your teeth have moved the desired amount. After that, you switch to the next aligner, then the next, until you’re done.
Which Is Best for You?
The only disadvantage of having two great options is that it can be hard to choose which is the right orthodontic approach for you. It’s hard because both approaches are discreet, fast, comfortable, and accurate.
However, they’re not exactly the same. Only Invisalign is removable, which is both good and bad. Plus, the two approaches are better at different tooth movements, so it’s best to let Blue Bell cosmetic dentist Dr. Siegel help you understand which is more likely to get you the results you want.
Both Are Discreet
One of the advantages that attract people to Invisalign is that the clear plastic aligners are nearly invisible. However, Six Month Smiles is also a very discreet orthodontic approach. Six Month Smiles uses clear brackets and a white wire, so it doesn’t stand out on your teeth nearly as much as traditional braces do.
Both Are Fast
When you hear the name Six Month Smiles, you appreciate that it’s fast. It’s true, too, that the average patient completes their orthodontic treatment in about six months, though some go a little longer.
However, you might not know that Invisalign isn’t just invisible; it’s fast, too. Clinical studies show that in many cases, Invisalign treatment takes an average of six months shorter than treatment with traditional braces. This might be around six months as well, making Invisalign another great choice for getting straight teeth fast.
Both Are Comfortable
Orthodontic treatment can result in significant discomfort. Remember, the orthodontic treatment is putting enough pressure on your teeth to make your body reshape your bones. It’s no wonder that people often feel sore after getting a tightening appointment at an orthodontist.
However, both Invisalign and Six Month Smiles reduce this discomfort. Six Month Smiles is focused on moving the front teeth, which are smaller and easier to move. Not only are the back teeth slow to move, but they are also the source of most orthodontic discomfort. This means that Six Month Smiles causes less discomfort than traditional braces. Invisalign also uses gentler force because it breaks the treatment up into smaller pieces. Switching aligners can make your teeth a little sore, but it’s much less than normal orthodontics.
Both Are Accurate
Both of these treatment options are highly accurate. You’ll get your straight smile as expected. The risk that treatment won’t work out is very small, comparable to that of any orthodontic treatment.
One Is Removable
One big difference between Invisalign and Six Month Smiles is that Invisalign is removable. This is both good and bad. Because Invisalign is removable, you must keep eating all your favorite foods. You won’t have to clean around wires and brackets. Plus, if you have any up-close photos or special occasions where aligners might be a problem, you can take them out.
However, you also have to be responsible. You get the best results from Invisalign if you keep the aligners in for 22 hours a day or more, and you should shoot for a minimum of 20 hours a day. If you can’t trust yourself to do that, you should choose Six Month Smiles.
They Can Achieve Different Movements
Invisalign aligners work great for some types of movements. They are great at pushing your teeth into place. However, they are less significant for rotating teeth or moving them up or down. If you need a significant amount of these movements, Invisalign might not be the best choice.
On the other hand, Six Month Smiles doesn’t move your molars at all. If you need some molar movement as part of your orthodontics, Invisalign is a better choice.
Blue Bell cosmetic dentist Dr. Ken Siegel can help you understand what tooth movements you need and why one or the other treatment might be best for you.
Straighten Your Teeth in Blue Bell
If you are unhappy because of crooked teeth, don’t let them keep you from smiling. Blue Bell cosmetic dentist Dr. Ken Siegel can help you get your teeth straightened quickly and discreetly. He’ll help you figure out which of our options will work best in your case, something he can only really do in person.
Please call (610) 272-0828 or use our online form today to request an appointment at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell.
