A view from behind: a history of lingual orthodontics

Lingual orthodontic appliances have experienced a renaissance in the UK over the past 5 years, becoming more widely accepted as a suitable alternative to conventional labial appliances when treating most malocclusions. Clinically improved laboratory techniques have overcome many of the difficulties that a previous generation of orthodontists encountered when first trying to embrace this innovative technique to correct malocclusions. This article provides a brief history of lingual orthodontics. It will discuss the development of the technique, the reasons for its initial rise and fall in popularity, and more recent developments that have re-established its popularity among orthodontists in the UK.