Lingual Orthodontics: The Future

Lingual orthodontics has come of age; its acceptance by both the profession and the patient population continues to grow internationally. The future of lingual orthodontics is dependent on the following three important issues: (1) advances in technology related to appliance design and laboratory protocols; (2) demographic changes in population age groups—the growth in the number of adult patients seeking orthodontic treatment associated with an increase in affluence and disposable income will create a patient-driven demand for more esthetically acceptable appliances; and (3) attitudinal changes of orthodontists. There has in some countries been a reluctance of the profession to embrace the lingual technique. With education and training this resistance is starting to erode and an increasing number of clinicians are learning and adopting the lingual technique.