Invisible Orthodontics
Invisible Orthodontics With Clear Aligners Or Lingual Braces (Lingual Technique)
The development of orthodontics in recent decades has significantly reduced the aesthetic problems stemming from a treatment. Nowadays we even talk about “invisible orthodontics”, which consists of methods that aim to offer a decent therapeutic effect with minimal visual disturbance on the patient’s face.
In our practice we offer invisible orthodontics with clear aligners or specialized lingual braces (lingual technique).
Clear aligners
A common orthodontic treatment we recommend to our adult patients is the use of silicone intraoral appliances, known as clear aligners. This type of treatment is popular in adults, because it offers a discreet result. Clear aligners are removable appliances, i.e. they can be easily placed and removed from the mouth.
The clear aligners we use are made of monomer with thermoplastic properties, which is formed exclusively for the patient’s own oral cavity based on his/her dental impression. During the treatment there is a possibility of using more than one aligners. In this case patients need to swap aligners every few weeks, as each aligner exerts a different kind of pressure, pushing the teeth to the desired position. They should be worn practically 24 hours a day, except for meals and when brushing our teeth. Otherwise the treatment time will unnecessarily increase.
The advantages that clear aligners give us are:
- Minimum aesthetic problems thanks to the transparent material they are made of.
- Easy cleaning with a toothbrush and lukewarm water.
- No pain, discomfort or difficulty in speaking.
- Specialized appliance, made exclusively for our mouth.
- Avoidance of the plaque and mild irritation of the gums that may be caused by other types of orthodontic appliances.
Lingual braces (lingual technique)
When using the lingual technique, braces are placed on the back of the teeth, on the so-called “lingual surface”. This is a method that can be applied only in carefully selected cases of patients after clinical examination. Its results are comparable to those of “traditional” orthodontics.
The advantages of this technique are:
- The orthodontic appliance is completely hidden.
- The possibility of dental caries caused by the use of an orthodontic appliance is eliminated, since the lingual surface of a tooth is more durable than the so-called “buccal surface”, i.e. its front part.
- The patient can eat and speak normally while having a fixed appliance in his/her mouth.
- It is not necessary to pause the treatment when a formal occasion arises (e.g. social event, marriage), as many patients in other types of treatment desire.
