Inside-Out: Lingual Orthodontics and the Challenges of 'Hidden' Treatment

Orthodontic technology continues to evolve to offer patients ever more esthetic options for completing their orthodontic treatment. Many providers may come to feel like we are caught in an "arms race" with our patients' esthetic demands escalating with every new technology that we offer to keep their treatment hidden from the world. These treatment modalities share some important similarities, and this patient population is unique. I will review some of the mechanical challenges of lingual orthodontics and some of the patient psychology that can make lingual orthodontics particularly challenging for providers.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the unique challenges of a pre-programmed and customized (lingual) appliance for the delivery of orthodotnic force.
• Recognize the importance of esthetic orthodontics and the psychological factors that drive patients toward lingual orthodontic treatment.
• Distinguish which challenges in your lingual orthodotnic patients' treaqtments are related to appliances and which challenges are related to this unique patient psychology.