
6 Month Braces is a revolutionary orthodontic service - Six Month Smiles™ - for adults who have, until now, felt like they were stuck in "cosmetic limbo." Until now, if you had crooked teeth, there was a choice between Porcelain Veneers and traditional long-term braces (orthodontics). Dr. Barr is a certified Six Month Smiles™ dentist.
Porcelain Veneers are most appropriate for changing the shape and color of your teeth, while changing minor alignment issues.
Traditional long-term adult orthodontics may take one to two years, or even more in some cases, to straighten all your teeth. Understandably, many adults simply don't want to wear braces for that long. However, traditional braces still have their place.

Six Month "Fast" Adult Braces is an easy choice to make compared to the two previous alternatives in many cases.
|
Dr. Barr,
|
Naturally, for adults, this is a big issue. You may remember the "metal mouth" look from years ago. The good news is that today we have eliminated that look! The Six Month Smiles™ Braces technique uses tooth-colored (white) brackets AND wires. They're barely visible! Take a look at the photo below. Can you see the braces on our patient, Karyn? And, remember... most cases take only 6 months!
|
Karyn is wearing nearly invisible 6-Month Braces. |
Six Month Braces are appropriate for correcting spaces, gaps, crooked, or crowded teeth. If the teeth that show in your smile aren't straight, 6 Month Braces may be the perfect solution for you.
Imagine this: Straight teeth in the time it takes between your regular check-up and cleaning visits!
Many of our patients like to whiten their teeth after straightening them for a perfect and natural smile.
Yes and no. 6 Month Braces are very similar to conventional adult orthodontics as it pertains to brackets and wires being used. The mechanism of moving the teeth is the same. The difference between the Six Month Smiles™ technique and conventional braces is the focus of the treatment. With 6 Month Braces, we are focusing only on the teeth that show in your smile. The goal of 6 Month Braces is to give you a smile you can be proud of in a reasonable amount of time.
Most people have no trouble chewing. Their teeth function well, and their bites work fine. Six Month Braces can be finished more quickly than traditional braces because we aren't focused on changing your bite. Rather, we are focused on what you want. Usually, that's improving the appearance of your smile. Traditional adult orthodontics go beyond that, to perfecting your bite in your back teeth. Six Month Braces is about what you want.
Most Six Month Braces cases will take about 6 months. Some may take less. A few may take more than 6 months. A "long" case may take up to 9 months to achieve the goals. But, it's rare. The vast majority of cases take 6 months.
Here's a recent case completed at Palm Beach Smiles in Boynton Beach. Tiersa wanted to look great for her upcoming wedding and didn't have much time. Porcelain Veneers would have to be rather aggressive, and 2 years of traditional braces was not an option for Tiersa. Here are before and after photos of a 6 Month Braces case:
![]() |
||
![]() |
![]() |
|
| Tiersa is wearing 6 Month
braces! A silver wire is being used here. |
Amazing results! |
Teeth straightened in just 6 months! |
![]() |
| Here's Tiersa on her wedding day! |
Six Month Smiles™ uses very light and safe forces to move teeth at the same rate as traditional braces. We are not moving them faster. The difference between Six Month Braces and traditional braces is that we are simply ending treatment sooner. Your front teeth (that show when you smile) move faster than your back teeth. Traditional braces take longer because there is an additional goal of perfecting the bite in your back teeth. 6 Month Braces is not concerned with perfecting the bite in your back teeth, so we simply stop once the front teeth are positioned in a cosmetically pleasing arrangement. So, the rate of tooth movement is the same, but the total treatment time is faster - about 6 months. That's the difference in a nutshell!
So, there is no more chance for damage to your teeth or roots with 6 Month Braces than there is with traditional braces.
Most patients tell us that they feel some temporary "tightness" in their teeth. Dr. Barr recommends over-the-counter medications like Advil or Motrin (Ibuprofen) for those rare cases that need some relief. But, so far, none of our patients have actually needed to use any medications. They tell us they "get used to them." The good news is they will only have to be "used to them" for about 6 months!
Naturally, there is no "magic bullet" treatment that applies to everyone. Each method has its advantages. The advantage of the "Invisible Plastic Braces" (as seen on TV) is that they are, well... Invisible. And, they truly are. You can't see them.
The disadvantages of "Invisible Braces" as seen on TV are:
Treatment takes longer.
The cost is significantly higher.
You have to remember to put the trays in and take them out.
Fine tuning the result is more difficult and time consuming.
The advantages of Six Month Smiles™ are:
Shorter treatment time.
Lower cost.
You don't have to remember to do anything except see us once a month for an adjustment.
Fine tuning the result is easier and faster.
They are nearly invisible. (See Photo Above)
Yes. Modern braces can be bonded to Ceramic Crowns and Porcelain Veneers just like natural teeth.
The short answer: Yes. That is true with any kind of braces. But, the good news is that with the Six Month Smiles™ technique, you can have a permanent retainer bonded out of sight, behind your teeth. So, you won't have to remember to put one of those old-fashioned retainers in every night when you go to bed. With a permanent bonded retainer, it's always in, but you won't notice it.
Here is another example of the amazing results possible with Six Month Braces:
![]() |
|
| Before | Just 6 months later! |
Depending on your needs, the cost can vary. However, it compares with traditional braces (perhaps a bit lower), while it is considerably less than "Invisible Braces" (as seen on TV). And, Six Month Braces cost far less than Porcelain Veneers. Payment Plans for Six Month Braces are available. The best way to find out is to come by and let us take a look!
You can call us at 561-736-2377 for a no-charge consultation. Our dental office is located at 650 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., Suite 1, Boynton Beach, Florida. Our office is at the intersection of I-95 and Boynton Beach Blvd. Dr. Michael Barr is a general dentist.
Ask the dentist questions about 6 Month Braces by clicking here.
© Palm Beach Smiles 2008, All Rights Reserved