Six Month Smiles Braces vs. Aligners: Which Should You Choose?

You may have heard great things about Six Month Smiles; it can be a more affordable alternative to traditional orthodontics for people with mild misalignments. But you might not know which of their treatments to choose. Six Month Smiles has both aligners and clear braces which you can wear on their own or pair them for combination treatment.

Which is more powerful? Affordable? Discreet? We have all the answers you need about Six Month Smiles clear braces and aligners.

Six Month Smiles At a Glance

Six Month Smiles was created by Dr. Ryan Swain, a general dentist who noticed a lot of his patients wanted an adult-specific orthodontic solution. While traditional metal braces offer great results, the experience during treatment wasn’t what his adult patients wanted. He developed Six Month Smiles clear braces as a more aesthetic alternative, launching them in 2007.

Several years later, Six Month Smiles introduced their clear aligners, making them one of the first Invisalign challengers to hit the market. With their aligners came the option for combination treatment as well — either wearing braces first to make the bigger shifts, then aligners, or having braces on one arch and aligners on the other.

Designed as a cosmetic solution, Six Month Smiles only treats mild-to-moderate crowding and spacing in the front six to eight teeth. This means anyone with more significant alignment issues or problems with the position of the molars won’t be suited to treatment. Most adults are just looking to make smaller changes or correct shifting after previous orthodontic treatment, which makes it a good option for most.

Scope of Treatment Comparison

Because of its shorter average timeframe, Six Month Smiles can only make certain tooth movements and only moves specific teeth. Both their aligners and clear braces work best with mild and moderate misalignments, but the braces have a slightly wider scope of treatment.

What Can They Treat?

According to Six Month Smiles’ clinical FAQ page, their aligners can treat class I and II cases, but not class III. They limit their treatment to 20 sets of aligners, so they can’t tackle any misalignment that takes more than that. The company says they can correct:

• Crowding between 4 and 10 millimeters
• Spacing between 3 and 7 millimeters
• Mild anterior crossbites
• Posterior crossbites with favorable root positions
• Limited cases of open and deep bite, when elastics are incorporated

On their website, Six Month Smiles mentions very limited cases where their aligners can move the posterior teeth. However, they do not emphasize these cases, and some clinicians say the system can only move the frontal teeth.

Braces, in general, have a wider scope of treatment than clear aligners. This remains true here, but the difference isn’t very significant. Besides the cases listed above, Six Month Smiles says their braces can handle:

• Extrusions
• Rotations
• Intrusions
• Tipping

In cases that are slightly more complex, dentists either use braces for the full treatment, use them before aligners, or use them on one arch with aligners on the other.

Clinical Oversight

Six Month Smiles was developed as a “turn-key” solution for general dentists looking to offer orthodontic treatment. To use the system, dentists just need to attend a weekend seminar and pay a fee. This gives them access to CONFIDEX 360 Treatment Planning software. They upload your scans and other images so the Six Month Smiles team can view them.

Whether you get the clear braces or the aligners, your treatment is planned by the board-certified orthodontists on Six Month Smile’s team. This is a big benefit since orthodontists have specialized training in moving the teeth — something general dentists don’t have. With the aligners, all your general dentist needs to do is add attachments to your teeth if needed. With the braces, they just use the indirect bonding kit to place the braces on the teeth and adjust the archwire as needed.

During your treatment, you’ll probably have office visits every 4–10 weeks, depending on your dentist’s preferences.

Power of Materials

Not all materials are created equal. Six Month Smiles aligners use Zendura FLX, an excellent dental plastic used by multiple aligner companies. It is strong enough to generate a lot of force but also fairly flexible. Zendura claims that FLX also retains 50+% more orthodontic force over time compared to some other plastics.

Still, the braces are slightly stronger since they attach directly to the teeth. Just keep in mind that they are weaker than traditional braces since the brackets are made from plastic.

Affordability Comparison

Orthodontic treatment is pricey — even at its most affordable, you’ll need to spend at least a thousand dollars. Six Month Smiles falls on the more affordable end of the spectrum but is still more than most people can afford out of pocket. Luckily, both systems come with the same price range, so you won’t feel pressured to choose one over the other due to finances.

Sticker Price

Six Month Smiles doesn’t have a set price. They have set rates they charge dentists, per kit for the clear braces and per set for the aligners. However, your doctor will add their fees to cover their overhead and time. Six Month Smiles states that their treatments usually cost somewhere between $3,500 and $5,000.

Will Insurance Cover Them?

Your dental policy might cover Six Month Smiles if it includes orthodontic benefits. Check to see if your policy extends coverage to adult patients or not and find out what they consider cosmetic and what they consider medical. Six Month Smiles doesn’t make significant tooth shifts, so it is considered cosmetic and many policies are iffy on covering these treatments.

Are There Financing Options?

With Six Month Smiles, your doctor may offer their own payment plans and financing. If not, then you can ask them about Six Month Smiles for Everyone. This financing is through the company via CareCredit but the process is handled directly by your dentist.

Convenience Comparison

Orthodontic treatment is a financial commitment. But what isn’t talked about as much is that it is a time commitment as well. With either Six Month Smiles treatment, you’ll need to invest time into daily care and appointments, but aligners tend to be more convenient than clear braces.

Production Turnaround and Treatment Time

Six Month Smiles has a pretty quick turnaround with both treatments. Once your doctor submits your case, your preview will be ready in 5-7 business days. Once you approve, your aligners or braces will be made and shipped in another 5-7 business days. So, from your initial consultation to getting your appliance it might be as little as two weeks. Treatment usually takes about six months, as the name implies, but their typical timeline ranges from 4-10 months.

Comfort

Six Month Smiles aligners tend to be more comfortable than their braces. Since the aligners sit flush against the teeth, they don’t change the profile of the lips and cause minimal irritation to the soft tissues of the mouth. The braces are the opposite; they push the lips out slightly and can irritate the mouth until your tissues adjust.

With both treatments, you will experience some tooth soreness when you start treatment and after each aligner switch or braces adjustment, but this tends to go away quickly.

Cleaning and Dietary Changes

Here is where clear aligners really take the lead over clear braces. With either treatment, frequent cleaning is a must. If you have clear aligners, they need to be removed for every meal and drinks other than plain water, and you need to clean your teeth (and sometimes your aligners) before you put them back in. Bracers patients need to clean their teeth at least 3-4 times a day, but after every meal is best since food particles can get stuck around the braces and stain the teeth.

So where do aligners win? With dietary restrictions. Since you remove them to eat, no foods are off-limits. With braces, there are many things you cannot eat until your appliance is taken off and that can make quick office lunches and business dinners difficult.

Appearance Comparison

A big reason adults get orthodontic treatment is to feel confident in their appearance. While your smile will be stunning, you might not love the look of an appliance on your teeth. As a result, most people find Six Month Smiles aligners to be more attractive than their braces.

Overall Visibility

Clear aligners are less visible than clear braces. However, Six Month Smiles aligners aren’t as discreet as they could be. Their plastic is clear, smooth, and has a bit of a shine. Translucent, matte aligners with a little bit of texture tend to look more natural since your teeth are naturally porous. Still, they are difficult to pick up on unless you get up close.

Their clear braces use plastic brackets and tooth-colored wires, so they blend pretty well with the teeth. At a distance, most people can’t see them, but during typical conversations, they’ll likely be noticed.

Do They Stain?

With either option, staining is a concern. Both are made from clear plastic which can start looking dingy if it absorbs pigments from foods and drinks. Frequent brushing is essential, and with clear aligners, you must remove them when eating or drinking to keep them looking their best.

Features That Can Make Them More Visible

Aligners can incorporate attachments, such as elastics and engagers. How visible these are depends on the type of attachment. Buttons and elastics tend to be very visible, while spacers and engagers are harder to see. Braces can also incorporate attachments and many patients will have elastics with theirs.

Patient Experience Comparison

All the items above play big roles in how you feel about your orthodontic treatment. However, they don’t dig into those little details that, while less glamorous, can really make or break your experience. With Six Month Smiles, your patient experience should be the same no matter which appliance you go with.

Methods of Communication

Your primary point of contact throughout treatment is your dentist. Most offices are best reached by phone, but some also use text-based communication. Of course, a great time to get questions answered is during your office visits.

Oversight

One of the greatest benefits of in-office treatments is that you get direct oversight from your doctor. These visits take place about every 4-6 weeks with Six Month Smiles, making it easy for your dentist to keep you on track.

Refunds and Warranties

While rare, sometimes patients get into treatment or reach the end and find they aren’t happy. If this is the case for you, what happens next? This all depends on your dentist. Most will not offer full refunds, and even partial refunds aren’t common. However, most will work with you to get the result you are looking for.

Which Should You Choose?

You aren’t likely to go wrong no matter which you choose. Both Six Month Smiles treatments can transform your smile into one you absolutely love. Still, you might prefer one option over the other.

Choose Six Month Smiles Aligners if…

• You want the most discreet treatment option.
• You aren’t interested in making dietary changes.
• You feel comfortable with a removable appliance.

Choose Six Month Smiles Clear Braces if…

• You want a more powerful treatment.
• You are fine with restricting your diet.
• You worry about remembering to put aligners back in after meals.