Incognito Expert Forum, Nice

At the weekend I visited Nice, France for an expert forum on Incognito lingual braces. I've been using braces hidden behind the teeth for 9 years, and now use the Incognito brand almost exclusively for this type of treatment. Incognito braces are completely custom made to the specialist's prescription, leading to fantastic results and a great 'wearing experience' for the patient. This was a new meeting by invitation only, so I was delighted to be one of only 20 UK orthodontic specialists to attend, and the only one from Yorkshire. The meeting was held at the Hotel Negresco, a spectacular if rather unusually decorated hotel on the main Promenade des Anglais. Fortunately we had lovely weather, a complete contrast to Storm Abigail in the UK!

There were about 150 specialists, mainly from Europe, plus technicians from the German laboratory where they custom make each appliance. (Sadly some people hadn't made it due to the terror attacks in Paris affecting travel, more on that later.) The technology is incredible, Incognito started with 3D printing technology in 2001 when it was very new, and have continually developed the process and made it almost fully digital now. Many orthodontists are buying oral scanners which remove the need for taking impressions and sending by post. There were audible gasps of 'wow' in the audience as Incognito revealed the new digital light printer that can do the work of 40 of their previous printers. It's really useful to know what happens in the lab in between taking impressions and fitting the braces as it helps me to plan the treatment and understand what can and can't be achieved. I'm sure it's also useful for the technicians to see the clinical side and get to know the doctors.

Saturday afternoon was taken up with lectures by specialists from France, Japan, Italy, Scotland, Germany and the USA. The lectures including a lot of clinical tips, really helpful for not only planning treatment but also getting the best out of the braces to achieve the best results for my patients. There were some challenging cases treated to a very high standard. It was also great to chat to colleagues about lingual braces, and also about many other orthodontic topics, as well as having a social catchup with some friends I've met before.

Sunday was split into smaller groups leading to interesting and stimulating discussion. I gave a short presentation on providing temporary 'false' teeth to disguise gaps during treatment, and picked up some very useful tips and tricks from other specialists. It was inspiring to listen to others who use the appliance in many different situations, often in preference to other types of orthodontic brace. I can certainly recommend Incognito braces in confidencewith the knowledge it will deliver results as good as, or even better than traditional fixed braces on the front of the teeth.

Sunday afternoon was free so I walked along the prom to the old town. I had a good impression of Nice and would like to return and explore it more fully. It was really encouraging to see residents and tourists behaving normally after Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, with many people and families out for a walk. In fact, the organisers and locals had been keen to stress that we were safe and still very welcome, and getting home via Nice airport presented no problems. Obviously our thoughts were very much with the French people and the Parisiens in particular.

I'd like to thank 3M Oral Care and Incognito for the invitation, and look forward to another meeting next year.

How do you make braces disappear?

Easy, you put them on the back of the teeth!

You may not have heard of lingual braces (lingual = tongue, so they are on the tongue side of the teeth), by their very nature they are invisible so you can't see them, which makes it difficult as orthodontists to promote them!

On Saturday I attended the British Lingual Orthodontic Society (BLOS) annual meeting. As you might expect for something so specialist it is a pretty small group, but the doubling of membership over the last 12 months shows how this type of treatment is growing in popularity. Did you know that 18% of adults believe they'd benefit from straightening their teeth, but 72% are unaware of lingual braces (BLOS Ipsos Mori Survey)?

I was particularly pleased to hear of how many people are now using Incognito lingual braces, as I have recently started using this system, having used two other lingual systems before. It is completely customised for each patient making it easier for us orthodontists to use, more comfortable for you to wear, and giving really great results, as good as I would expect with conventional braces. Having fitted Incognito on a few patients now I am delighted with it and so are my patients who are already getting the benefit of having straighter teeth.

I was also honoured to give a "Clinical Pearl", sharing a tip with my colleagues that can make treatment easier. Lingual braces are certainly challenging to use and the learning curve is steep, for that reason I'd recommend you only see a specialist orthodontist if you are considering lingual treatment.

I came away from the meeting inspired and I'm keen to bring this type of treatment to more people.

If you'd like to find out more visit the websites in the links above, visit our website or call us to book an appointment for an assessment.

Hide your braces, not your smile!