DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles: What are the differences between aligner providers and which product is more recommended?
While invisible braces were a niche product a few years ago, they have now become mainstream.
No wonder, because there are countless adults for whom dental correction was neglected or not performed correctly at a young age.
You all want beautiful, straight teeth. However, the price of spending several years with unsightly wires and brackets in the mouth is a little too high for most of them.
Invisible aligners offer an ideal solution here: not only are they relatively inexpensive and painless, but they also provide a discreet way of straightening teeth.
Of course, the increasing demand also ensures that more and more competitors try to gain a foothold in the aligner market every year.
For patients, this has the advantage that the invisible dental trays are offered at ever lower prices, while the products are continuously improving.
But alternative concepts are now also available – for example, fixed braces, which are also only visible to third parties at second glance.
So it is now really complicated to find the right provider and a suitable system. Because the choice is huge and each company is convinced to offer the best product.
We would like to bring a bit of structure into the aligner chaos and help you find the right provider.
In this article, we therefore take a closer look at two well-known names on the market: The Berlin-based company DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles from the United States.
Who has the better product, which aligners are of higher quality, are there alternative concepts, what are the advantages and disadvantages and who offers the better price-performance ratio?
Who is actually behind DrSmile and Six Month Smiles?
DrSmile was founded in 2017 by Christopher von Wedemeyer and Jens Urbaniak in Berlin.
It has since successfully established itself on the market and become a well-known brand.
DrSmile is now available in nine countries. The company has already produced more than one million aligners and can look back on more than 100,000 completed tooth corrections.
In Germany alone, there are already partner practices in more than 100 cities. DrSmile has been part of the Straumann Group since 2022.
You can find more information about DrSmile here.
Six Month Smiles was founded in 2006 by Dr. Ryan Swain. The company is based in the United States – more precisely in The Colony in the state of Texas.
There is much less information about Six Month Smiles on the Internet than about DrSmile. The aligner and braces provider is also far less represented on social media and YouTube.
This is because Six Month Smiles was only present in the USA and Canada for a long time, and later also in the UK and Ireland.
In the meantime, however, there are also some dentists and orthodontists in Germany and other European countries who cooperate with Six Month Smiles and offer the products.
However, the number of Six Month Smiles partner practices is far below what DrSmile offers.
DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles: What do the products have in common?
Both DrSmile and Six Month Smiles have so-called aligners in their portfolio.
In principle, these invisible braces always work according to the same principle. After they are individually made in the laboratory, they are worn for at least 22 hours a day.
Since the aligners fit snugly on the rows of teeth, exerting constant pressure, they are able to gradually push the teeth into the desired position.
You should only remove the flexible plastic dental trays for eating and dental care.
The technology enables the correction of mild to moderate anterior malocclusions in just a few months.
The aligners are extremely thin and completely transparent so that they can hardly be seen by outsiders. In this way, they enable discreet tooth correction.
Dr Smile vs Six Month Smiles: What is the difference between the two providers?
DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles: What are the differences? There is actually quite a bit here that differentiates the two providers.
Your treatment with DrSmile always starts in a partner practice. Here a detailed consultation takes place. A 3D scan is also taken and the gums, jaw and teeth are checked.
After the initial appointment, you will receive a treatment plan that includes a 3D simulation of the teeth correction and the final price.
The appointment is always free and without obligation at DrSmile. without any obligation to buy.
If you decide to have the treatment, the invisible braces will be conveniently sent to your home.
The DrSmile experts monitor the progress of your treatment via an app, so no further appointments in the practice are necessary.
If you have any questions, you can of course contact the support team at any time.
Treatment with Six Month Smiles aligners is similar to that of DrSmile.
The big difference, however, is that Six Month Smiles offers another system for straightening teeth in addition to invisible braces.
This is a transparent, fixed brace system that can correct misaligned teeth in an average of four to nine months.
This variant was also developed primarily for the straightening of the anterior teeth.
Unlike DrSmile, multiple appointments are necessary during treatment with Six Month Smiles’ fixed, nearly invisible braces.
During the first appointment, impressions are taken and sent to the laboratory. Based on these, Six Month Smiles can determine the ideal placement of the brackets on the teeth and create a deep-drawing tray (bonding tray) with the pre-positioned brackets.
This is inserted and bonded (bonded) during the second appointment. Subsequently, the fixed braces must be checked and adjusted every four weeks.
DrSmile or Six Month Smiles: How do the prices differ?
At DrSmile, your malocclusion is classified as mild, moderate or severe.
The classification is based on the complexity of your malocclusion and the associated total number of aligners needed for the treatment.
Prices include upper and lower jaw at DrSmile.
DrSmile prices at a glance:
One-time payment | Installment payment | |
S | £1,390 | |
M | £1,790 | |
L | £2,090 |
You can find more information about DrSmile prices here.
The pricing model at Six Month Smiles is more individualized and the cost of straightening teeth can vary greatly.
You will only find out how much your dental treatment will cost during your first appointment with the dentist or orthodontist.
Even at Six Month Smiles, however, prices are always based on the severity of the misalignment. It also becomes more expensive if both jaws have to be treated instead of just one.
Some dentists list the cost of Six Month Smiles treatment on their websites between 2700 euros and 3900 euros.
Installment payment is available at most partner practices. However, it is not arranged directly with Six Month Smiles, but with the respective dentist or orthodontist.
Accordingly, we cannot give a blanket answer to the question: “DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles – which provider is cheaper?“. However, for mild and moderate cases, the cost at DrSmile is often less expensive.
Unfortunately, the costs of dental correction for adults are not usually covered by health insurance.
However, we still recommend that you do not focus exclusively on price when choosing an aligner provider.
Instead, rely primarily on authentic reviews and research lots of testimonials on the Internet.
What are the areas of application of DrSmile and Six Month Smiles?
Regarding the question “DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles – what are the application areas?” the two providers do not differ.
Both DrSmile and Six Month Smiles (both aligners and fixed braces) do not allow treatment until the patient is 18 years of age or older. The reason for this is that the dentition (jaws and teeth) may no longer be in growth.
Moreover, both DrSmile invisible braces and Six Month Smile braces (both aligners and fixed braces) can be used exclusively for aesthetic anterior teeth straightening and closing small to medium gaps between teeth.
Tooth malocclusions such as crowding, crossbite, head bite, deep bite or open bite can only be corrected in mild to moderate cases.
By the way, this applies to most aligner providers, including Braceless, Inman Aligner, Bestsmile, Smileunion, Smile Direct Club or PlusDental. Currently, only Invisalign products can be considered for serious tooth misalignments.
Our conclusion on DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles
When choosing an aligner provider, the focus should not be solely on price.
Instead, you should inform yourself in detail about the companies and read through as many reviews and testimonials on the Internet as possible before making a decision.
When it comes to the question “DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles: which provider is better?“, our recommendation leans towards DrSmile.
DrSmile offers a very good price-performance ratio and only high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technologies are used in the production “made in Germany & USA”.
Through the app, the course of treatment is regularly monitored and kept in view by dentists and orthodontists. Last but not least, DrSmile offers a satisfaction promise.
Although Six Month Smiles has been on the market since 2020, there are few authentic testimonials on the Internet or social media – unlike DrSmile.
So it’s much more difficult to track down positive and negative impressions of current and former patients, which definitely makes the decision more difficult.
In addition, relatively few dentists and orthodontists in Europe offer Six Month Smiles products. This could become a problem, for example, if the practice closes during treatment.
Still undecided? I myself (the editor of this article) am in the middle of straightening my teeth with DrSmile and so far my experience has been mostly positive. You can find a first conclusion about my treatment here.
FAQs about DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles
Finally, here are some frequently asked questions about DrSmile vs Six Month Smiles.
You can find more articles and information about DrSmile here.
Other providers in comparison
Which aligners are the best?
We recommend DrSmile for your dental correction. The company offers a very good price-performance ratio and only high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technologies are used in the production “made in Germany & USA”. In addition, DrSmile offers a satisfaction promise.
How long does the treatment with Six Month Smiles last?
Treatment with Six Month Smiles lasts between usually four and eight months. The duration of treatment varies with the severity of the malocclusion.
When are braces paid for in adults?
The statutory health insurers cover the costs for a Braces for adults in principle not. Only in the case of severe jaw anomalies, serious health problems or after an accident do they step in. Private health insurance companies usually pay for dental correction if there is a medical indication.
How much does a aligner for adults cost?
Some suppliers advertise prices from about 1500 euros. However, depending on the severity of the malocclusion, the treatment can be much more expensive and cost up to 6500 euros.
- About the Author
- More info
On About That Smile, Franzi wants to impart sound knowledge to anyone interested in straightening their teeth with invisible dental aligners. Her main goal is to share personal experiences and educate about the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment.
