How do Six Month Smiles braces work?

When choosing a practice to have your teeth straightened one of the first questions that should go through your mind is “how experienced are they?”

At Watson & Winston Dental Care, Mr Winston has been providing braces for his patients for over ten years. He has a Master’s of Science degree in the subject and is at the cutting edge of the field.

One of the most common treatments carried out by Mr Winston is Six Month Smiles. More and more adults are coming to the practice for tooth straightening in their 20s, 30s and 40s (there is no age limit for this type of treatment) with crooked or spaced teeth. They have been unhappy with their smile for years and years and only recently found out that we can straighten their teeth using invisible braces in about six months.

Many people have asked “Do you just tighten the braces more?”

The answer to this question is a resounding NO! Actually the stronger forces used when you over tighten braces will actually slow down tooth movement. Lighter forces actually move teeth faster than higher forces. There is a shock absorber surrounding each individual tooth. This shock absorber is called the periodontal ligament or PDL. When too much force is applied to the teeth the PDL becomes bruised and the teeth stop moving. The teeth cannot move again until this bruising has healed. This can take days to weeks to occur. Conversely by using low forces the teeth can move without bruising the PDL. This means there is more continuity to the movement of your teeth through your jawbone and ultimately faster, safer and more comfortable tooth movement.

Because we are rapidly gaining a reputation from many happy patients, word is spreading, and we are seeing more a more patients from further afield including, Manchester and Stockport. In fact only today we finished a tooth straightening case in only four months!