Six Month Smiles - really six months??

[MardyBum]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place - I hope so.

I have just got Six Month Smiles fitted, and having read a few stories I'm wondering how often it takes a lot longer? My ortho originally said mine will be between 6 and 8 months, but having heard some of the comments to his assistant about how bad my teeth are (!) when he was fitting the braces I'm not sure if I'll need longer. I get married in August next year, and there's no way I'll be getting married with them on but I'm worried they might not be finished.

Anyone have any SMS stories to share and maybe put my mind at rest?

Thanks :)

[Felina Grimm]

For one, I honestly don't think SMS is a good option and more like a half-done treatment, especially if your teeth are horribly crooked. If you really thought having braces on would be an issue for your wedding, you should have held off on braces altogether until AFTER your wedding because you will never know if they will be off in time or not. Nothing is certain.

[metalliKa]

The treatment progress varies on an individual basis and the estimated treatment time is just an estimate, not a definite. But yes, teeth can be straightened in under a year. Those of us with full course ortho treatment see improvement in teeth alignment in the first 6-8 months. Good luck! My only suggestion is to let your ortho know about your plans so he can treat you accordingly so that you'll have those braces off before your wedding.

I also want to add that if you do a search for Six Month Smiles, there are plenty of threads pertaining to the said subject.

[MardyBum]

Thanks both.

Perhaps I should stop asking questions I might not want to hear the answer to... I feel a bit bummed out now and like I might have thrown away a whole LOAD of money on something I might not get great results from. What I probably should have done is done it 3 years ago and gone with the long option. Oh well, too late now!

[newbite]

Some people with full treatment get their braces off for their wedding and honeymoon, wear their retainer during, and then get the braces put back on afterwards. Your ortho would have to be willing to do that, though, it's a lot of extra work. Some people also have their braces edited out of their wedding pictures-- probably the easiest option!

I wish I had my braces during my wedding-- it would mean I'd have straight teeth! And since I have clear in the top front they're barely noticeable in pictures. I look at my wedding photos now and my teeth are so crooked, ugh .

I'm of the camp that braces + straight teeth will look so much better during your wedding than crooked naked teeth. Good luck!

[metalliKa]

Thanks both.

Perhaps I should stop asking questions I might not want to hear the answer to... I feel a bit bummed out now and like I might have thrown away a whole LOAD of money on something I might not get great results from. What I probably should have done is done it 3 years ago and gone with the long option. Oh well, too late now!

MardyBum, don't get discouraged. 6MS and conventional braces are basically the same. The only difference is that conventional braces do more than just straightening teeth, which is why the treatment plan is longer. But if your objective is only having straight teeth, 6MS will give you that. I have faith, despite what you heard the assistants said, that you will have your 6MS even if a little more time is needed before your big day.

Chin up!

[MardyBum]

Thanks Newbite and MetalliKa :)

I think I'm just overthinking it because I've wanted nice teeth for so long. If I need to, I'll keep the braces on until the week before the wedding...but I can't face seeing family I haven't seen in years and in some cases meeting my OH's family for the first time with them on. I'll have a chat with my dentist when I go in tomorrow.

xx

[metalliKa]

Yes, don't leave the forum! It would be nice to get updates on your progress! And definitely, this board is great for venting of anything frustrating relating to the whole braces ordeal! I know my ortho and his team is probably reading my every antics as they know I frequent the forum. Well, they don't know the exact site but I told one of the assistants that I regularly visit an online forum for adult bracers. And these days, Google is everybody's best friend.

[NeilH]

Hi, good luck with your treatment. 6MS achieve the impression of straight teeth by concentrating on the visible six teeth at the front and frequently utilise a degree of 'flaring' to give room for all these teeth to be straight. Conventional orthodontics looks to align all the teeth first then correct the visible appearance. Whilst both approaches will give you 'straight teeth' the issue is one of long term stability. There are plenty of clinical reviews that question the long term stability of 6MS and other short term orthodontic solutions and it may be worth having a look at some of these so you can chat through the options with your dentist / orthodontist. The brackets that are attached to your teeth can probably be used for either approach and how far you go down the route of conventional orthodontics is up to you and the contract you agreed with the practice.

Don't worry too much about your choice of treatment, I'm sure you are going to be pleased with 6MS and will have a lovely smile for your wedding.

[Felina Grimm]

Hopefully at least you can get at temporary retainer so you don't lose progress and then reinstall the braces again. I don't even trust my own estimated time, especially with my teeth being stubborn. Good luck!

[rey123]

My friend got it. She just wanted a few crooked teeth fixed up front and a slight over bite. It turned out well.

[teeebeee]

It was my son's wedding (and my oh-so-special birthday!) that finally galvanised me into action in Feb, braces on at the end of March. It was faintly possible that it would be done by the wedding in August but it wasn't finished. I was fine with that. There was such an improvement that I was happy to smile a bit wider than ever before and, though they were prepared to take the braces off for the day, I didn't mind. Just had a nice, clean wire/power chain done a couple of days before and lived on 'white' food for a couple of days! lol...

Keep on keeping on and I'm sure you'll be grinning from ear to ear on the big day!

T xx

[Guitarchick]

I got six month smiles and was told it could take 10 months. They came off after about 13. Now onto clear aligners... If I could have braved it I probably would have gone with traditional braces.