If your teen requires orthodontic treatment, but isn’t too keen on the idea of flashing a mouthful of metal each time she smiles, lingual (behind-the-teeth) braces may be a good choice.
Gone are the days when undergoing orthodontic treatment meant walking around with large, metal contraptions stuck to your teeth for months, or even years. With new advances in orthodontics, it’s now possible to straighten teeth in a much more understated fashion. In fact, depending on the treatment type, many people won’t even notice your orthodontic appliances.
Lingual braces are one of these treatment types. They look and act more or less exactly like standard metal braces do. The important difference is that they’re placed on the opposite sides of the teeth, what you might consider the “backs” of the teeth.
This means that your teen’s lingual braces will be facing into his mouth, rather than out, keeping them almost completely hidden from the casual observer.
Lingual braces work just as well as normal braces do, and they come with many of the same extensive hygiene routines and food limitations. Their over traditional ones are mostly social and aesthetic.
For instance, if food gets stuck in them, it will be invisible to most people. Your teens smile will look completely natural when she smiles in pictures, meaning school photos won’t be a constant reminder of her orthodontic treatment. And she won’t have to feel self-conscious about her braces in social situations, since they simply won’t be noticeable.