Adult lingual orthodontics
Incognito Bracket
The term “lingual” refers to the application of attachments (brackets) on the inner surface of the teeth (lingual), facing the tongue, where they are totally invisible, rather than on the outer side facing the lip and exposed to the smile.
Today the great merit of lingual orthodontics is that no one can notice that the patient is having an orthodontic treatment; the patient can continue his normal lifestyle while wearing the lingual apparatus that will completely correct his teeth and improve his smile with complete discretion.
Patients wish to obtain well-aligned teeth at the end of orthodontic treatment but also to be able to smile during treatment without having to show the aesthetic bulk of a conventional orthodontic appliance – metallic or transparent plates.
The lingual braces can be applied at any age, to debunk the myth that orthodontics is effective only during adolescence. There is no age limit for the application of an orthodontic appliance provided that the supporting tissues and the teeth are in good health and the teeth are firmly embedded in the bone.
The patient’s age has no influence on the dental movement and the latest generation of orthodontic appliances, thanks to the use of super-light forces and systems that work in almost total absence of friction, allow the teeth to be aligned at an exceptional speed with a reduced number of appointments and less treatment time. This allows the resolution of dental crowding that previously required tooth extraction. Today our teeth can be corrected at any age and without annoying metal plates (brackets) that limit the most beautiful and natural thing: the smile.
Adult Treatment
It is characterized by the fact that since there is no clinically significant skeletal growth, there is a need for planning tooth displacement (space recovery) to correct malocclusion.
The most frequent indications for orthodontic treatment of adults are: mild skeletal malocclusions, dental malocclusions, joint problems and aesthetic and / or psychological considerations.
Combined orthodontic-surgical treatment
Some severe malocclusions, where the skeletal discrepancies of the jaw (ratio between the mandible and upper jaw) are considerable, cannot be solved by orthodontic treatment alone, but require the help of orthognathic surgery. The resolution of this type of problem usually requires a combination of orthodontic treatment and surgical correction in order to give the patient a pleasant aesthetic result and a functionally valid occlusion.
Advantages of orthodontic treatment in adults
Functional
The orthodontic treatment enables an alignment of the teeth by repositioning the dental arches in a correct functional relationship, so as to have good chewing and obtain a pleasant and harmonious smile in the facial context.
Hygienic
The aligned teeth are easier to clean and allow maintenance of an optimal state of health of the gingival tissues (prevention of periodontitis and tooth loss) and of the teeth (prevention of caries).
Aesthetic
The purpose of an orthodontic treatment is to achieve balance and harmony between the teeth and the face and to ensure the functionality of the masticatory apparatus, helping to prevent temporomandibular joint disorders (noises, joint pains) and / or muscles (eg headaches) that often accompany them, sometimes related to the presence of a malocclusion.
