We love a challenge especially when it concerns teeth straightening and our case of the month treated in October was a great one. Our lovely patient came to us to straighten her front teeth only after years of being down about her smile. She was told by several dentists that it simply was not possible without going through a long drawn out full mouth orthodontic plan. We were happy to take on the challenge head on and after some careful planning, Dr Nissit Patel was able to provide a great result in a few months using the Social 6 lingual brace.
 

Teeth alignment is an incredibly popular cosmetic dental treatment which we have been offering for nearly 16 years at Progressive Dentistry. Most people know about Invisalign, which is a fantastic treatment using clear aligners. However, not many are aware of lingual braces. This brace is placed behind the teeth hence no one will know you are straightening your teeth. This treatment is not readily available at most dental practices like Invisalign as it is regarded as being more technically difficult and requires special training. 

We have been placing lingual braces for over 15 years and have treated thousands of patients in that time. There is no substitute for experience!
 

Braces technology has greatly evolved over the years, and there are now various types to choose from. The least visible of any form of the tooth-aligning orthodontic procedure lingual braces or incognito braces are now growing in popularity. It is becoming a preferred option by those who are more conscious about how their braces look like. Read on the find out why you should consider lingual braces.
 

Our case of the month for September 2019 is one featuring a lingual brace. For those of you that follow our blog and case of the month series, we love lingual braces. They are hidden braces placed behind the teeth and hence the ONLY invisible brace despite what others may have you believe. Before we show you the case, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of lingual braces. The technique is not for everyone and hence this is really useful information.

Advantages of Lingual Braces 
 

1. Cannot be seen; hidden from view
2. Excellent at alignment, leveling, rotation correction when space is present
3. Excellent at space closure when the bite allows
4. No lip irritation
5. No damage to the outer surfaces of the teeth whilst placing and removing

Disadvantages of Lingual Braces
 

1. Contact on the brackets whilst biting, eating, chewing which is hard to get used to
2. Harder to clean
3. Tongue soreness
4. Greater likelihood of knocking the brackets off inadvertently
5. Use of lower night guard essential if only upper teeth are being treated
6. Cannot be used if teeth are very crowded as there will not be enough space for the brackets to be placed
7. Extremely fiddly for the treating dentist to place and adjust!
8. More expensive than conventional braces- for good reason!

Here is our case, a great end result:
 

It's early in June but we could not wait to post our case of the month. As you may be aware, we believe in the least invasive techniques to create stunning smiles which look natural and healthy. After all, it is pretty obvious when a smile is false- just look at various celebrities on TV (no names mentioned!) 

Our patient requested a drastic improvement on his smile using lingual braces as he did not want the brace to be visible for work reasons. The treatment was a great success and the improvement as profound. We discussed the need for teeth whitening and cosmetic bonding after treatment to enhance symmetry. Often, teeth are asymmetrical due to tooth wear, grinding at night, genetic reasons or past treatments. 

Pre treatment: