Lingual Orthodontics
What is Lingual Orthodontics?
Due to the importance of people’s appearance in their social life, interest in orthodontics, which is one of the treatments that significantly change aesthetics, is increasing day by day, especially in adults.
However, the (relatively) unaesthetic appearance of orthodontic treatment materials and inaccurate or incomplete ideas about the orthodontic treatment cause patients whose need of orthodontic treatment to postpone their treatment.
For this reason, ‘lingual orthodontics‘, a treatment option that can eliminate the aesthetic concerns of adult patients, is a unique opportunity for such patients. In lingual orthodontic treatment, the brackets are bonded to the inner surfaces of the teeth. Therefore, no brackets or wires are visible. They are also called invisible braces because they are completely invisible. However, not every orthodontic patient may be suitable for this treatment.
Since the primary patient group in lingual orthodontics is the adult patients who have finished their development, additional diagnostic data will definitely be required. In this regard, the help of a periodontist, prosthodontist and maxillofacial surgeon is inevitable. During treatment in adult patients, the force applied to the tooth and the tissue adaptation required for tooth movement take longer than in pediatric patients.
The most important factor when choosing a lingual orthodontic patient is undoubtedly to find out why the patient wants to be treated and to make a preliminary personality assessment.
The patient should be informed about the treatment and the difficulties that the treatment may cause, especially in the beginning. Misguidance, misinterpretation of the patient’s expectations from the treatment, lack of information about possible side effects and, as a result, the patient’s inability to adapt to the treatment can lead to the removal of the lingual brackets.
Although studies have shown that lingual orthodontic patients have very different occupational groups and lifestyles, the general trend is that patients who are engaged in professions such as modeling, which require being in front of the public all the time, and who live in big cities and have a good income are in the majority. Again, in the grouping based on age, it was observed that these patients were mostly in their late 20s and early 30s.
However, the common concern of all these patient groups is undoubtedly their appearance. Patients who are candidates for lingual orthodontics often present to the physician directly with this request. These patients are often more skeptical and highly questioning than other adult patients. For this reason, a more careful and attentive preliminary evaluation is required.
For more detailed information about lingual orthodontics, I recommend you to read the article Lingual orthodontics–its renaissance published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
ADVANTAGES OF LINGUAL ORTHODONTICS
If you are considering orthodontic treatment and are looking for a more aesthetic alternative to traditional metal braces, lingual orthodontics is an ideal choice for you. But it has some limitations. Let’s start with the advantages of this technique.
The biggest advantage is of course aesthetics. Ceramic brackets that are bonded to the front surface of the teeth are also aesthetic, but the wire passing over them is visible. This is not the case with the lingual technique. Lingual braces can also be a great choice for musicians and athletes.
DISADVANTAGES OF LINGUAL ORTHODONTICS
Now for the disadvantages. The lingual technique is not suitable for individuals with very small teeth or for patients with extreme skeletal problems. In general, brackets bonded to the inner surface of the teeth are more expensive than traditional brackets bonded to the outer surface of the teeth. This is because lingual braces are custom-made after impressions are taken from the teeth. Another issue that can be a problem with the lingual technique is that when the brackets are first placed, they restrict the space of the tongue, making it difficult to speak and chew.
In general, it can be said that the treatment time will be longer with the lingual technique than with traditional orthodontic treatment. Apart from these, these brackets are also difficult to clean as they remain on the invisible inner surface of the teeth. Therefore, it is important for lingual orthodontic patients to pay utmost attention to oral hygiene.
For more detailed information about orthodontic treatments, you can read our Orthodontic Treatments article.
TREATMENT PROCESS
If you have decided to have lingual treatment, the first thing to be done in the first session is to take an impression of your teeth. This impression is sent to the laboratory where brackets suitable for your teeth will be produced and manufactured with CAD/CAM technology. The process of producing the brackets and sending them back to the clinic takes 4-6 weeks. After the brackets arrive at the clinic, your doctor will bond the brackets to your teeth with a special technique.
CANDIDATES FOR LINGUAL TREATMENT?
Unlike traditional braces, lingual braces are not applied to patients with short teeth and severe malocclusion. When the teeth are short, things become difficult because there is not enough space to bond the bracket to the inner surface of the tooth.
Lingual braces can be more difficult to get used to than traditional braces. Because we rest our tongue against the back surface of the upper front teeth when we swallow, it may be uncomfortable at first because the tongue will touch the brackets after the braces are placed. You may also find it difficult to say some letters at first.
