A discreet fixed brace system with clear brackets and white wires. Faster and more predictable than aligners for cases with more significant crowding. Free whitening and retainers on completion.
A discreet fixed brace system with clear brackets and white wires. Faster and more predictable than aligners for cases with more significant crowding. Free whitening and retainers on completion.
Six Month Smiles is a fixed brace system designed for adults who want straighter teeth without the visibility of traditional metal braces. The brackets are clear ceramic and the wires are tooth-coloured white, so from a normal social distance the braces are hard to spot. The system focuses on the front teeth (the ones that show when you smile) which is why treatment can be much faster than full orthodontic work.
Six Month Smiles tends to be the better option for cases with more significant crowding, rotations or alignment issues than clear aligners can handle well. Where Invisalign would struggle or take much longer, fixed braces can deliver a faster, more reliable result. Like Invisalign, every Six Month Smiles case at Tangmere is finished with a free course of prescription tooth whitening and a free set of retainers.
The system works by "rounding out" the arch of your teeth - moving them into a slightly wider curve so they appear straight. A small amount of space is created by gently polishing tight contacts between teeth, which means extractions are rarely needed.
Who Six Month Smiles Is For:
Adults with more complex crowding or rotations
Patients who've been told they're not ideal for Invisalign
People who want straight teeth in 6-9 months rather than 12-18
Patients who don't mind fixed braces but want them less visible than metal
Anyone for whom aligner compliance (wearing 22 hours a day) would be difficult
Problems Six Month Smiles Solves:
Crowded front teeth where aligners aren't enough
Teeth that have rotated significantly out of position
A misaligned smile that other systems can't deliver predictably
The visibility of traditional metal braces for an adult
Long treatment timelines from comprehensive orthodontics
Free Whitening + Retainers Included
Like Invisalign, every Six Month Smiles case at Tangmere is finished with a free course of prescription tooth whitening and a free set of retainers. Both are included in the quoted price.
A no-commitment conversation about whether Six Month Smiles is right for you. We take photos and X-rays, talk you through the procedure, and give you an approximate cost. We're honest about whether Six Month Smiles, Invisalign or something else is the best fit for your specific case.
2
Records Appointment
Once you decide to proceed, we take detailed records - more photos, X-rays and impressions for working models. The brace is designed specifically for your teeth based on these records.
3
Braces Fitted
The clear brackets are bonded to the front of your teeth with a special adhesive. The wires are then threaded through and activated, sometimes with small elastics or springs, to start the gentle movement.
4
Monthly Adjustments
You come in monthly for the wire to be adjusted as the teeth move. We also polish small contact areas between teeth at these visits to create the space needed for movement. Each adjustment appointment takes 20-30 minutes.
5
Braces Off, Whitening, Retainers
At the end of treatment the braces come off, the teeth are professionally cleaned, and we do a course of prescription tooth whitening (free with Tangmere Six Month Smiles cases). Retainers are then fitted to the back of the front teeth to hold the new position.
We invest in the most modern dental systems — Cerec, magnification, digital imaging — while keeping our care grounded in prevention and the maintenance of health.
Same-Day Crowns & Restorations
Our Cerec system creates solid porcelain crowns, inlays and veneers in a single visit — no impressions, no temporaries, no return appointment needed.
Accessible, Purpose-Built Facility
Ground-floor practice with disabled access, free parking, disabled spaces, and high-capacity dental chairs (up to 29 stone). Easy access from Chichester, Arundel, Bognor Regis and Portsmouth.
Prevention-Led, Long-Term Care
Our focus is on stopping problems before they start. From advanced diagnostics like the Florida gum probe to drill-free options where suitable, we plan care around protecting your health for decades.
We believe in transparent pricing and flexible payment options to make quality private dental care accessible. Our fees are clearly explained before treatment begins, and we offer membership plans to help you spread the cost of routine care.
Six Month Smiles is fixed (it stays in your mouth full-time). Invisalign is removable (you take it out to eat). Six Month Smiles is generally faster for more complex cases. Invisalign is more discreet. Six Month Smiles can fix things aligners can't. We'll recommend what's right for your specific teeth.
The clue is in the name - around 6 months for the average case, with some cases finishing in as little as 4 months and more complex cases taking up to 9. It's much faster than traditional orthodontics, which often runs 18-24 months.
"Less visible" is more accurate. The brackets are clear ceramic, the wires are white, but they're still noticeable up close. From normal social distance and in photos, they're much less obvious than traditional metal braces.
You'll get tightness and pressure for 2-3 days after each adjustment, while the teeth adjust to the new wire position. Manageable with over-the-counter painkillers. After that, no pain. Some patients get rubbing on the inside of the lip from the brackets initially - we provide wax to smooth that out until you adjust.
Rarely. The system creates space by very gently polishing tight contacts between teeth, which gives the room needed for teeth to move without extractions. For more severe crowding we might suggest a different approach.
Mostly, yes. Avoid very sticky foods (toffee, chewing gum), very hard foods (whole apples, ice cubes) and anything that might bend a wire. Otherwise normal eating is fine. We give you the full guidance at the fitting appointment.
Slightly differently to normal. You'll need a small interdental brush to clean around each bracket, and you'll want to be more thorough than usual. We show you the technique at the fitting appointment, and your hygiene visits during treatment will help keep on top of it.
Call us. It happens occasionally. We fit you in for a quick repair so treatment can continue on schedule. It's rarely urgent but it's worth dealing with sooner rather than later.
Tangmere Dental Care is a private dental practice combining advanced technology with prevention-led, holistic care. Our mission is to help patients across West Sussex maintain healthy, durable smiles for life.
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