After you get trained, the first step is to take records on the patient (including impressions, x-rays, and a complete exam). After the records appointment, the case is submitted online and the patient’s impressions are sent to Six Month Smiles (digital or PVS). Once your case is received, our team of orthodontists will create a treatment plan and 3D simulation for you to review. After your approval of the treatment plan, our team of specialists will fabricate the case.
Aligner System: our team of specialists will print and label each aligner tray and package the items into our Aligner Patient Tray Kit. This includes a patient take home guide and bag they can use throughout treatment. Once the Patient Tray Kit has been assembled, it is returned to your office ready to use. After the initial placement of the aligners, your patient will switch out their aligner trays every 2 weeks. You will set up adjustment appointments every 2-4 weeks, depending on the patient and treatment plan. You can use the last aligner tray to order removable retainers for your patient from Six Month Smiles.
Clear Braces System: our lab specialists fabricates your custom indirect bonding tray, making bonding the braces to the patient's teeth remarkably easy, efficient and stress-free. The bonding trays, appropriate tooth-colored wires, ties, and other needed materials are packaged into our Patient Tray Kit. When the patient comes in for their braces-on appointment, the Patient Tray Kit is retrieved and the process begins. After the braces on appointment, the patient is seen every 4 weeks, for a simple adjustment visit. Once the teeth are in the final position, the braces are easily removed and adequate retention is provided. The patient is able to enjoy a smile that looks great and no longer makes them feel self-conscious. Our system is safe, straight-forward and patient focused.
The average case is completed in 6 months. However, the window of time is generally 6-10 months. The two primary reasons for these short treatment times are:
The fast orthodontics treatment goals are not exactly the same as those associated with conventional orthodontics. The most time consuming changes, such as altering Angle Class and making significant midline changes, are not part of guided orthodontic treatment. The goal of most Six Month Smiles cases is very similar to most aligner cases: to give the patient a great new smile and to accomplish most, but not all, of what would be done with traditional orthodontic treatment.
Our brackets and wires are unique. Lucid Lok™ brackets and wires are specific for simpler orthodontic treatment goals. These teeth straightening goals can be achieved efficiently and effectively because the brackets and wires are engineered with a specific prescription and have unique orthodontic properties.
There can be a change of occlusion when we are trying to correct the patient’s chief cosmetic complaint. This is on a case by case basis – however generally the occlusion improves once the teeth are aligned. We don’t attempt to change the patients’ angle classification with Six Month Smiles.
Extractions are not required in most cases, however about 5% of Six Month Smiles patients may need extraction of a lower incisor. This will be covered in detail at the Six Month Smiles course.
Root resorption is not of more concern with Six Month Smiles than with any other type of orthodontic treatment. In fact, there is less chance for root resorption for Six Month Smiles cases. Root resorption is typically associated with high forces placed on teeth over a long period of time. With Six Month Smiles, the forces are very light and the treatment times are short. With a fast orthodontics system, there is simply less time for resorption to occur compared to most traditional orthodontic cases.
It is highly improbable that guided orthodontics will cause problems with the temporomandibular joint.
When I hear this question, I think back to the question posed by Dr. Barry Glassman:
When do the teeth occlude? “WHEN?” is when the teeth are together; one point in space within the entire envelope of function. I also realize that the “WHEN?” is independent of the shape and arrangement of the teeth. The primary concern with craniofacial pain and temporomandibular dysfunction is THAT the teeth are in contact, as opposed to HOW the teeth are in contact (or what the occlusal scheme happens to be). Temporomandibular joints are not damaged when the mandible is in rest position. They are damaged by load (bruxism), and it has been shown that altering occlusion does not increase bruxism.[10-12] There is a modifier to this, however. Although occlusal factors do not make our patients brux more, these factors can make bruxers brux differently. In his lectures, Dr. Jim Boyd often refers to the parafunctional quad; four factors that are important when evaluating a patient’s parafunction: Intensity, Duration, Frequency and Position. When evaluating the occlusion and its effects on bruxism, it seems that position and intensity ARE the most relevant because in particular mandibular positions, the contacting teeth have an effect on the intensity of bruxism.[5] For this reason interferences present a paradox. Interferences are poor indicators of temporomandibular disorders and bruxism [10-12]. However, studies such as conducted by Liu in 1998 concluded that malocclusions with interferences do have an increased risk for developing TMD.[13] Le Bell observed that subjects with a history of TMD reacted to artificial interferences more than those with no history of TMD.[14] In other words, those who brux will be worse with interferences than without, but in those that do not brux, interferences are inconsequential. The caution, it seems, should be in identifying patients with pre-existing symptoms and therefore vulnerability to temporomandibular disorder, rather than focusing on the occlusion itself.
Most patients with crooked or spaced teeth are candidates. A patient is not a candidate if their chief complaint cannot be fully addressed within the time period of about 6-10 months. Think about the patients you see each day – many of them would be great candidates for simple ortho treatments to give them a confident smile and pleasing result.
Yes, keeping in mind some limitations of Single Arch Treatment:
Less rounding of the arch which translates to less space creation. More IPR will likely be required. Potential inability to fully control and finish alignment. Limited control of the bite, including potential contact on lower brackets and debonds. Potentially greater treatment time.
For this reason, as well as the likely greater degree of difficulty, most providers charge the same if not more for single arch treatment due to the issues that can arise.
Yes, Six Month Smiles is great for holding an extraction site to restore for implant post ortho treatment.
Yes. However, the fewer teeth there are, there is an increase in case complexity. Complexity depends upon which teeth are missing and what are the patient’s treatment goals. We have a wide range of support options to guide you.
Yes! Six Month Smiles is perfect for those who have stopped wearing their retainers and have had some movement and would like to get their teeth back into ideal positioning. You’ll likely find many patients in your practice already who would benefit and appreciate this.
Absolutely! Short term orthodontics is a great gateway to set up for a better looking cosmetic/restorative dentistry. Six Month Smiles allows for the ability to provide minimally invasive dentistry, preserving as much tooth structure as possible.
Six Month Smiles has a wide range of support options that can help you determine if the case is doable. You can post the patient photos on our Forum and one of our mentors will advise you on whether your patient is a candidate for Six Month Smiles (most adult patients are).
The best method for more detailed evaluation, is submitting your case with CONFIDEX digital treatment planning added, in which your case will be digitally analyzed and treatment planned by a team of orthodontists. The complexity of the case, patient’s treatment objectives and your past experience with fixed appliances are factors that influence case difficulty.
With the forum, CONFIDEX and one-one support, Six Month Smiles will support and guide you at every step of the way.
Yes, we are here to help! After submitting your case, our team will review and if we find the patient is not a candidate for Six Month Smiles we will let you know. If you can treat with our clear braces and invisible aligners, we will let you know if another one of our product types might be better for the patient. If your patient is not a candidate, there is not a fee for you to cancel the case.
Six Month Smiles offers two ways to get trained on becoming a Six Month Smiles Braces Provider:
Attend a Braces 1 Day Live Course, which is a combination of online/lecture/hands-on or
Complete our Braces e-Course (online/on demand).
Upon completion of either of these courses you will be confident in starting your first brackets and wires patient using our Guided Ortho System. As always, should you have any questions, our clinical support team is here to help!
Most adult patients are candidates for Six Month Smiles. Ideally, if the patient's chief complaint can be corrected in a reasonable amount of time and there is no active dental or periodontal disease, the patient is a candidate. With Six Month Smiles our focus is to: round out the arch and level and align teeth, correct crowding and close spaces, upright flared and tipped teeth, and level gingival margins.
Six Month Smiles offers two ways to get trained on becoming a Six Month Smiles Aligner Provider:
Upon completion of either of these courses you will be confident in starting your first aligner case using our Guided Ortho System. As always, should you have any questions, our clinical support team is here to help!
Six Month Smiles Invisible Aligners are ideal for adult patients with mild-moderate crowding (4-10 mm) and spaced cases (3-7 mm). Our aligners will correct anterior crossbites, but posterior crossbites can only be corrected if roots are favorably positioned. We will also correct open/deep bites, but full resolution may require fixed appliances and elastics. This product includes a maximum of 20 active aligners/ arch + 2 refinements. Aligner outcome is possible in most cases but, if necessary, we will recommend additional non-aligner options (clear braces on one arch, or clear braces on both arches).
Our 6MS Invisible Aligners are ideal for patients with mild to moderate crowding (4-10 mm) and spaced cases (3-7 mm). Treatment generally lasts 6-10 months, and can correct anterior crossbites, but posterior crossbites can only be corrected if roots are favorably positioned. Open/deep bites can also be improved, but full resolution may require fixed appliances and elastics. No class III corrections. This product includes a maximum of 20 active aligners/arch + 2 refinements within 2 years. 6MS Relapse Aligners are ideal for patients that have relapsed and have 1-3 mm of anterior crowding/space. May also be used for finishing cases when patients no longer wish to wear braces. Includes a maximum of 10 Aligners. 6MS Mixed Appliance Cases are designed for patients with mild-moderate upper arch crowding and moderate lower arch crowding. This approach leverages Aligners (aesthetics) for upper arch and Clear Braces (speed + superior control) for the lower arch to give the best results in a short amount of time.
We have two types of Aligner Products:
We also have a 6MS Mixed Appliance product which includes up to 20 trays on the upper arch and clear brackets on the lower arch.
We accept the following types of scans:
North America & Europe: Trios (3Shape). This portal is called “3Shape Communicate".
North America: CEREC (Sirona). This portal is called “Sirona Connect”.
North America & Europe: iTero (Align). This portal is called “MyAlignTech”.
Global: Medit Link. This portal is called the "Medit Link Application".
Open source STL files can also be submitted. We also accept physical impressions (we prefer PVS).
