If you are an adult who needs an option for straightening your teeth, you are not alone. There are different option available to you. One of those is traditional braces, but if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of metal and wire, there are better alternatives in the form of Invisalign and Six Month Smiles.
However, how do you know which of these to choose? Knowing the difference between Invisalign and Six Month Smiles can help you decide.
What is Invisalign?
Most people already know about Invisalign. It is a set of clear aligners that are made of plastic and molded from your mouth. Because they are clear, they are essentially invisible and most people won’t ever notice them.
They are easy to use, pain free and can be removed, allowing you to eat, brush your teeth and floss without worrying about food particles being stuck as with traditional braces.
They gradually shift your teeth into proper position and you have to see your dentist regularly to get checkups to see how your teeth are straightening. You also get molded for a new set of Invisalign aligners as your teeth straighten.
On average, treatment with Invisalign takes around 12 months.
What is Six Month Smiles?
Six Month Smiles utilizes a system of traditional brackets and elastic in its design to allow for better movement of the teeth during the treatment process. It is fixed in place like regular braces for the duration of treatment instead of being removable like aligners.
Six Month Smiles doesn’t use any metal like traditional braces. Instead, they are clear and tooth colored, making them virtually impossible to notice.
You are required to use retainers as well, but the Six Month Smiles treatment generally takes six months, hence its name.
Generally speaking, Six Month Smiles is cheaper than Invisalign because treatment takes a shorter amount of time and there are less dental visits required. Both are good options for adults and teens who want to straighten their teeth.
At the end of the day, however, Invisalign may be slightly more worth the extra money and longer treatment time because you can remove them, which allows you to practice better oral hygiene.