With all of the technological advances in orthodontics, patients have more treatment options today than ever. Nowadays, if you want to straighten your teeth, you can choose from clear braces, metal braces, braces with colors, Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Invisalign 5, Invisalign Express, etc., etc., etc.
Even braces are placed behind the teeth instead of on the front of the teeth! That’s right; Lingual Braces are braces used to straighten your teeth that go behind the teeth (on the side of your tongue and palate) instead of on the front of the teeth like traditional braces. Although there is an aesthetic advantage to not showing your braces on the front of your teeth, there are some significant concerns with lingual braces.
Top 5 concerns with lingual braces:
- Pain and discomfort
Having braces and wires behind your teeth can be very painful as your tongue constantly moves behind your teeth when you speak. This can cause your language to become irritated and even blister in severe cases.
- Difficulties speaking
Your tongue is a significant factor in our speech. It may become more challenging to speak and annunciate your words with braces and wires behind your teeth.
- Oral Hygiene
Many people have trouble taking care of their teeth with braces on the front of their teeth where they can see them with a mirror. Imagine the difficulty of adequately brushing and flossing your teeth with braces behind your teeth!
- Cost of treatment
The cost of lingual braces is typically almost double that of traditional braces. This can range from $8,000 to $10,000 for treatment, and they are no faster than conventional braces.
- Clear braces and Invisalign treatment are less expensive and painful than lingual braces.
Most people considering lingual braces as a treatment option are doing so for aesthetic reasons (they don’t want to show that they have braces). There are now several new styles of braces that are far less noticeable (clear/invisible braces or ceramic braces) and several products from Invisalign that allow patients to fix their teeth and not go through the pain or additional cost of lingual braces.
If you have any questions or concerns about your or your child’s smile, you should find a board-certified dentist near you and schedule a consultation. The easiest way to find a local orthodontist is to visit the American Board Of Orthodontics website and use their orthodontist locator tool, which can help locate an orthodontist near you.
