It’s been 7 months since I had my lingual braces (top & bottom) removed, and I can say three things for certain:
It was definitely worth the money, effort, and discomfort
It went much more quickly than I’d anticipated
I made the right move when I chose Dr. Ted

Background: Considering Braces and Finding Dr. Ted
I knew for many years that I needed braces, and I wanted to fix my teeth, but the thought of wearing visible braces (even tooth-colored ones) just seemed like too high a price to pay. I have a professional job that involves a great deal of contact with people – both one-on-one and also leading seminars and other team activities – and I just couldn’t see myself doing this while wearing traditional braces. And I imagined that the process would take years and involve complicated surgery. So I did nothing and the problem lingered.

Then I heard about lingual braces, and went on the Internet to see what I could find out. I discovered Dr. Ted’s site, and it was extremely helpful…he seemed to have anticipated every question one might ask. Though it took a few months, I finally got up my courage and called for a Consultation. I was afraid Dr. Ted would tell me that I wasn’t a candidate for linguals. Instead, he said that he thought they would work, and that it would take approximately 2 years. He also said that I’d have to have several teeth pulled, but that he would give me a small “bridge-like” tooth to hide each empty space, and they wouldn’t be obvious.

What impressed me about Dr. Ted was that he was very tuned in to my concerns, without my even having to bring them up, and that he was very enthusiastic about his work. I also liked that he was a little eccentric, with a good sense of humor and an appreciation for the absurd. If you have to see a doctor regularly for 2 years, it should at least be fun! So I agreed to become a patient.

My Lingual Experience: What Happened Over 17 Months
My first few visits involved preparation: taking molds, visiting the oral surgeon for measurements related to the teeth to be extracted, and ordering the lingual brackets. As soon as they came back from the lab, I had the upper lingual brackets inserted. Two weeks later, during an evening appointment, the oral surgeon removed 2 of my upper teeth. The very next morning, Dr. Ted inserted little fake teeth in the spaces, and you couldn’t see that I was missing any teeth. He also inserted my first wire, ,and I started the routine of coming to the office every 2-3 weeks for tightening and new wires.

No question about it: these things were really uncomfortable (and the oral surgery wasn’t much fun either!). But since they were totally invisible, I could live with the discomfort. What I couldn’t live with, however, was being unable to speak clearly. I’d been told that some people spoke with a lisp right after the linguals were inserted, but that it very soon went away. Well the lisp didn’t go away for me. This was totally unacceptable, so I needed to find a solution…and I did. I found that if I inserted wax between the brackets/wires and my teeth, and then created a barrier of wax on top of the brackets/ wires (as though recreating the smooth inner surface of teeth without braces), I could speak almost perfectly clearly. So this was a workable solution, though it involved a lot of attention. Unless I fasted for the entire workday (not an option!), I had to do some cleaning out and re-installation of the wax periodically. The morning and evening hygiene and this mid-day fixing added up to maybe an hour of maintenance a day. But whenever I though of the time involved, I considered the alternative (visible braces) and it gave me strength!

The every-two-to-three-week tightening of the wires was really painful – felt like all my teeth were falling out! I understand that this happens with regular braces also. I just kept plenty of Advil on hand, and took satisfaction in the results I was seeing.

After almost 9 months, it was time to insert the lower linguals. This was a whole new level of discomfort, and these braces were more visible than the upper ones (which were totally unseen). It took a while to get used to them. I also had to have a bottom tooth removed, so it was back to the oral surgeon…and back to Dr. Ted for another fake tooth to hide the gap. Again, I had to figure out a way that I could speak clearly, and again wax came to the rescue. Not only did it help me speak, but it also protected my tongue from the brackets…and it made them less visible. (Need I say that I never left home with several little bars of wax?).

For the next 7 months, I wore both the upper and lower linguals…until that glorious day when Dr. Ted said (completely unexpectedly) that I was done. He removed the linguals on the spot, and I was free! Instead of taking 2 years, it took about 17 months.

Your Experience with Linguals vs. Mine
My understanding is that most people do not have to have teeth extracted, so you’re probably not going to be heading off to the oral surgeon or having little fake teeth put in to fill gaps. And it’s possible that you won’t have the speech problems I had. But you will feel the discomfort that comes from having metal brackets in the space where your tongue would normally be moving freely around.

But if you have the same requirements I had (i.e., appearance first, then speed, comfort, and price), lingual braces are a great solution. And if you select Dr. Ted as your orthodontist, you’ll be getting a very caring doctor who goes out of his way for his patients. (I can’t count the number of times he came into the office early or on his day off, because of my heavy travel schedule.) And you’ll get a doctor who certainly knows what he’s doing (mine was a difficult case)…and who can actually make visits to the orthodontist fun (if you can imagine such a thing!). Finally, you’ll get office staff who are friendly and helpful and who help make the experience bearable. So if you’re considering lingual braces, but you’re nervous about starting, just pick up the phone and call Dr. Ted. You’ll wonder why it took you so long.

Lingual Braces From Dr. Ted’s Point of View

Lingual braces is a highly technical (and therefore very demanding) method of treating crooked teeth, offered routinely only by four or five other orthodontists in the New York City area. Usually braces are glued on to the front surfaces of the teeth where you can readily see them. Most adults are really embarrassed by crooked teeth. Crooked teeth with braces on them are a nightmare for adults. When I first began to offer clear transparent braces my adult patients breathed a collective sigh of relief. But when I began to offer them lingual braces they were not only relieved they were ecstatic! Imagine, braces that were glued on to the back of the teeth (See Fig. 1). Adults who I put them on would tell me how they would go to a party and tell people who were virtually strangers about their new lingual invisible braces and then casually show them off like a kid with a new bicycle. Lingual braces had become a fashion statement, something to be proud of, a badge of distinction, in a word—"classy."

Click here to see photo of patient with lingual braces

Ten years ago when I first began to offer lingual braces it was like being a pioneer exploring an exciting and dangerous new frontier. It demanded unusually long appointments (30-90 minutes), new sorts of instruments (more expensive) totally different head and hand positions (awkward and cramped), and getting use to another kind of patient (quirky). Even today when I’m setting up to insert or adjust lingual braces on a patient I mentally morph myself as though preparing for competition in an Olympic event. It’s like a jeweler trying to work on the inside of a small watch case that it is wet, dimly lit moves and has an attitude besides.

Initial discomfort with lingual braces (sore tongue and minor speech problems) is more of a problem , but patients seem to readily leap those hurdles. One problem that sometimes is bothersome for me occurs when the patients forget they have to refocus their tooth brushing efforts on the inside of the teeth and the gums become swollen and interfere with the adjustments. On the other hand, the lingual brace appliance is a particularly useful tool for the correction of problems involving very deep overbites, which are frequent in an orthodontist’s office.

We thank those patients who contributed articles to share their experiences with lingual braces. The reader may find it interesting to note that four of the patients are sisters whose ages varied from 22 -27 who started and finished treatment at the same time.

by Frances Zeman

Who would have thought that after so many years of looking at other people wearing braces and thinking myself so fortunate not to be one of them, that I too would succumb. I realized my lower teeth were crowded and kind of short and knew that my teeth looked a bit compressed when I smiled. All of this I overlooked until one day my newly appointed dentist told me that I was wearing away my lower teeth because of a severe overbite and the teeth would be shorter and shorter. That was all I had to hear.

A resident of Cobble Hill, I went to Dr. Ted for a consultation. I was quite concerned about wearing braces since I deal with many people during the course of a business day. He told me about lingual braces; I decided to proceed. The day he put them on was very trying. The upper braces went on without trouble -- since I have several crowns, Dr. Ted used a special adhesive to prevent the brackets from breaking off. The lower braces were a lot of trouble. My teeth were so overcrowded and pushed-in that lingual braces could not be applied. Dr. Ted put on clear braces which were OK since, in my mind, it was the top teeth that mattered.

The first few days were a pain in every way. I learned to use wax, how to clean the brackets and developed ways of avoiding and then perfecting speech. It was a challenge! I’d call my number and leave messages for myself so I could hear what I sounded like to others. I got a thrill from knowing that people couldn’t detect the braces, in fact many were amazed. Several older potential lingual braces wearers called to ask about them; they had the same concerns I did, and all went ahead to have them put on.

The time passed quickly. I was diligent about all phases of my treatment and Dr. Ted sped-up adjustments. He was able to actually make some of my lower teeth grow -- I was amazed at how nice they looked. After six months they were off. I was so proud of my smile and my teeth, which looked adult size for the first time ever. I hadn’t realized how much I had needed braces until after I saw the difference. The fee was most reasonable too; in fact Dr. Ted didn’t charge me. He said it was a special challenge, after all, I’m his wife!

counsel is to never forget your mate is, to say the least, uncomfortable no matter the kind of braces. So be supportive, tender, loving and solicitous and above all be thankful that you are not the orthodontist as well.]

by Eileen Campbell

I was probably destined for orthodontics since birth! Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me I did not realize my destiny until I was in my late twenties. At that point in my life I was certain that my only option was labial braces; a choice that frightened me so much that I postponed my decision until I was thirty-three!

    During those years, between my late twenties and early thirties, my teeth deteriorated aesthetically and functionally. I knew I needed to evaluate my choices. So, I went off to consult with several orthodontists. The consensus was that I required labial braces for a two year treatment period; no other options were offered. I actually began to believe that this was my only choice and was on the brink of submitting to this insanity when I heard about Dr. Rothstein. He was the first orthodontist that offered me the option of lingual braces, the answer to my dreams! After meeting for the first time with Dr. Rothstein, I made the commitment for the placement of lingual braces. I actually couldn’t believe how quickly I was moving along. Within two weeks my top braces were in place. This was when reality hit me, and the transition to having braces occurred. Ted and his staff provided me with support, information, and even had me speak to another lingual braces patient to prepare me for what I was about to experience. This "prepping" was helpful but unfortunately, I still needed to actually experience the dramatic transition to the world of braces!

The first two weeks were the roughest. The biggest challenge I encountered was learning to speak with braces on the insides of my teeth. My eating habits were also significantly altered; mainly for the best! A month later I had truly acclimated to this change when it was time to have my lower braces attached. Again, I experienced a two week transitional period but soon enough I was talking like a pro!

Within the next four months, I felt so positive about my experience and the ultimate end result that I encouraged three of my sisters to join me with the lingua braces experience! We spoke incessantly about our braces, the movement of our teeth, brackets, wires, and actually learned to hide wax from each other for survival purposes!

Every few weeks I would return to Ted for the replacement of rubber-bands, the placement of what always seemed like tighter wires, and to hear his talk of improvements. I remained committed to my treatment with braces, and one year later my braces were off!

In retrospect, if given the choice again, I would choose lingual braces. They offered me both the opportunity to correct my teeth while being practically discreet during my year of treatment. That year went by particularly quickly, and in the end my teeth were straight; something I never thought I would see. Now at thirty-four years of age, I can smile confidently thanks to Ted.

by Sidney Leonidas

Well, I’ve finally gotten my braces off, and not a moment too soon! My case was a particularly long one. Initially I had clear braces inserted on the front of my teeth. After approximately one year I could no longer stand the sight of my teeth with braces on them. When I confronted Dr. Ted about how I felt about my braces he proposed the option of having lingual braces inserted on the backs of my teeth. After some consideration, I decided to go ahead with lingual braces--despite the surcharge. The general experience I had with lingual braces was not quite what I had expected it to be, but the end result was well worth the effort on my part.

My first reaction to my lingual braces was a very positive one. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, I had gotten my braces off! I was less self-conscious and more confident about myself, especially when I smiled. Although my treatment still had a considerable amount of time before it reached completion, many people began to complement my smile. Many people who saw me on a regular basis would notice that my original "labial" braces were off and would express their happiness for me. With my hidden lingual braces on I had a much better outlook on the days which I would have to face new people.

As wonderful as my lingual braces were, I have to admit that at times I did feel that having them on did have its downsides. The morning after insertion of my lingual braces was a dreadful one for my tongue. It didn’t take very long before my tongue was sore and swollen. I found myself sucking on ice cubes in order to ease the pain. The soreness of my tongue triggered another reaction that invoked feelings of embarrassment—I sounded like Elmer Fudd!!! I can say without exaggeration that I had developed a horrible lisp! For someone who prides himself in his good speaking technique, I now had a new demon to battle. I was confident enough to smile but too self-conscious about my speech to say a word unless it was absolutely necessary. Speaking with a lisp wasn’t my only problem. Upon rare occasion I would literally become tongue tied—not from nervousness, but from my tongue actually getting caught on one of the brackets! Those situations caused me considerable embarrassment.

Although I know that they meant no real harm, I was teased by family members and close friends. My peers and siblings began to mimic my newly found speech impediment. My coworkers taunted me about being so vain about my appearance that I felt it necessary to have hidden braces.

Overall, I must admit that in my personal case the inconveniences that I encountered with my lingual braces were relatively mild ones. I assume there is a certain degree of discomfort with any oral procedure. I certainly experienced discomfort even when I had standard braces on my teeth. I eventually adapted to my lingual appliances and shortly overcame my speech problems. I feel that Dr. Ted paid particular attention to my treatment. So I must admit that the good far outweighed the bad. Having had lingual braces personally made my treatment easier to endure. This, in turn, facilitated achieving the end result; which many people will attest was well worth the wait!

Following my term with lingual braces I can truly say that: "I’m a fan of Dr. Ted’s. Nobody does it better!"

by Margaret Dourigan

Ever since I can remember I would dread going to the dentist because every time I saw him, he would strongly recommend that I get braces. I was always opposed to having them because that only "geeks" had braces. So I decided that I would live with my crooked teeth rather than being a geek. One day, while I was away at college, my sister called me to tell me about her lingual braces. After hearing about them I thought that it was an almost perfect solution. My one major concern was how my speech would be effected. It just so happened that I was a speech and hearing communications major in college. I could not imagine how I could teach others how to speak correctly when I knew that I was speaking incorrectly.

After much thought I realized there is never an ideal time to have braces and this was the closest I would ever be. When I came home for spring break I had my lingual braces put on. It was not until then that I realized how many changes I would be going through. These changes ranged from the pains in my mouth, as my teeth shifted, to the changes in my diet.

When I first had my braces, I thought that I would just be experiencing one bitter pain. But as time went on, I began classifying the different types of pain that I experienced. For instance, a pain that I had for two to three days after I received a new wire, somehow became a "good" pain. My diet also changed. This was probably because I could no longer pick up some food and eat it on my way to class. I actually had to make sure it was not too hard or crunchy because I didn’t want to break a bracket.

After having braces for a year and a half, I am just about ready to have them taken off. My teeth are straight and I didn’t even have to look like a geek!

WHO SAID WEARING BRACES IS KID STUFF?? NOT SO! More and more adult mouths are showing proof of pudding and rumor has it that smiling is on the increase in the age 30 and above adult population. At age 37, I found a new secret to good looking teeth—LINGUAL BRACES—and of course, good old fashioned dental hygiene.

For a reasonable surcharge (considering I would have paid anything), it was possible for me to have my cake and eat it too. The trick is that lingual or "invisible" braces, as they should be called, are fitted behind the teeth. They are fast replacing the conventional labial braces, those affixed to the front of the teeth, which many adults can find to be a tremendous source of embarrassment. But heed this warning you sufferers of irregularly arranged pearlies, wearing linguals is not all smiles, they are known to cause some woe.

One drawback is the higher cost compared to conventional braces. If you are not sufficiently vain, you might decide to buy that new car instead. In a phrase, linguals are the state of the art in orthodontics. Since lingual braces are relatively new, few doctors are seasoned. But Dr. Rothstein has been certified to perform lingual orthodontics for over ten years; in addition to his twenty-two years of specializing in orthodontics.

Since I began wearing linguals, some seven months ago, I have learned that "no pain, no gain" is a specious aphorism. Not blessed with patience with the patience of Job, I found my progress in the first three months frustratingly small paced. In no way was it commensurate with the discomfort of eating, talking or kissing. From sore tongue to sore gum to broken wires, linguals can be a pain in the mouth. Not to mention the inadvertent weight loss from a lack of peanuts, cashew nuts, medium rare sirloin steak, corn on the cob, and snacking. Always in life, however, one must make a choice. For me, one of life’s easiest was choosing between a lifetime of unevenly arranged teeth that detracted from my smile, or the investment of my time and money which would end with the happiness one gets in the display of straight teeth in a beautiful and easy smile.

If you are old enough, you should by now know that unevenly spaced, crooked teeth are for dinosaurs. And you know what happened to them! Who wants to be a dinosaur? Especially during the mating season when one’s thoughts turn to kissing, necking, and flirtatious chatter. You choose.

If you are an adult who is still a kid at heart, whose parents were unable to afford the wonders of Disneyland, the rambunctious frolic of summer camp, and your mouth filled with the metal contrivances of the orthodontists, then lingual braces are for you.

Thanks to Dr. Ted, I’m getting it all together!

First, let me start off with a little background history. I have always been very self conscious of my teeth. As a child and teenager I would never want to smile. People would always ask me, "Why don’t you smile?" and when I did so they would say "What a beautiful smile you have you should do it more often." This left me believing what else could they possibly say but something nice.

At the age of 18 I was searching for any remedy. Porcelain veneers? The thought of filing down my own teeth seemed barbaric only to have the possibility of them falling out and replacing them every five years. I was not a candidate for the removable braces so my last option was braces. The thought made me cringe but it was either that or have a life filled with toothless smiles. Forcing myself to the orthodontist’s office, a mold was taken of my mouth. He explained I could have a choice of clear or traditional metal braces. Somehow, neither one of those choices sounded appealing to me. I decided on neither.

A few years later, searching for a miracle I looked through the Yellow Pages. That is where I found the answer… Dr. Ted and lingual braces. During the consultation Dr. Ted explained how the braces would be inserted, how long they would have to be worn, what I could and could not eat, and finally how much they would cost. True they were more expensive than traditional braces but they were the answer to all my concerns... straight teeth, no one would see them, straight teeth, 18 months process and straight teeth. Well, my mind was made up. The expense was definitely worth the result.

I began my treatment with only upper lingual braces. This took some getting used to. I spoke funny, I couldn’t eat regularly, and my mouth hurt. What did I get myself into? 18 months of this an I didn’t even have my lower braces on yet. These problems quickly went away. It was all a question of adapting to a foreign body in my mouth. Within 2-3 weeks my speech improved, I learned how to eat ( the secret is don’t bite into anything, break food into pieces or use a knife and fork for everything, this prevents brackets form breaking and large food particles from getting stuck in your braces). My mouth was back to normal. Except for a few setbacks early in my treatment such as broken wires, broken brackets and "growing" gums my treatment has been a dream. It’s all a question of adapting, knowing what to eat and how to eat it.

The constant progress is amazing. It feels like total transformation. My treatment is almost done, four more months to go. I was happy when I heard this, but I really wouldn’t mind wearing them for a longer period if I had to. Would I do it again? Do I recommend them? YES, YES, YES!!!

I smile a tooth filled smile at everyone now, even strangers.

by Pat Dourigan

A few year back I was informed that I needed braces and was referred to an orthodontist. The orthodontist estimated that I would require about 2-2 1/2 years. Wow! I thought, that’s an awful long time to wear braces on the front of my teeth. Then I remembered an article I had recently read about a new type of braces that could be placed on the inside (behind) of your teeth. When I inquired about these braces, the orthodontist replied, "those braces are very difficult and time consuming, besides those type of braces won’t correct your overbite." At this point I had to weigh the pros and cons. Either I wear braces on the outside of my teeth for 2 1/2 years and feel embarrassed for those 2 1/2 years, or not wear braces at all. I chose to forego the braces. (I later realized that this orthodontist simply did have the experience or expertise with the "behind-your-teeth" braces).

Fortunately a year later my sister informed me that she knew an orthodontist who placed braces on the inside of the teeth, and they were called "lingual" braces. My sister had already gone to see Dr. Rothstein and was going to begin lingual braces within the next few weeks. I decided to go and see him also to learn more about lingual braces. Dr. Rothstein examined my teeth and informed me of the various types of braces available from the traditional metal-wire to the clear-transparent braces to the lingual braces. I was amazed! When Dr. Rothstein informed that I was indeed a candidate for lingual braces I was ecstatic! Now, no one would know I had braces. This I could live with.

Initially, Dr. Rothstein placed the lingual braces on my upper teeth. As I left Dr. Rothstein’s office my teeth began to feel tense. By the time I arrived at work I was actually feeling pain, and by evening I was convinced (as I sipped on soup for dinner) that my teeth were going to fall out. The following days and weeks were challenging. My speech was a bit slurred, I had to practice saying certain words, food was constantly getting caught in my braces etc. I began spending a greater amount of time

brushing my teeth (greater than 3 minutes as recommended by Dr. Rothstein) to make sure all of the food particles were out of my braces. Day by day the adjustment to braces became easier and easier.

Just as I got the hang of lingual braces, Dr. Rothstein informed me that it was time to put the lingual braces on the lower teeth. Oh, no problem I thought, these braces are a piece of cake. Boy did I forget. After Dr. Rothstein placed the lower lingual braces I had to go through the whole adjustment process again. Luckily, this time it was a bit easier. After having both upper and lower braces on for a few months, I began to try some of the "forbidden" foods, and just as Dr. Rothstein predicted, my braces began to break off. Living on Long Island and traveling into Brooklyn (which is about 45 minutes without traffic at 6am), in order to fix my braces was certainly not worth the bagel. As a result, I quickly learned my lesson.

Time went by quickly and soon I really began to see how nice my teeth were straightening. Before I knew it, my braces were ready to come off ...only 13 months in treatment!! It was well worth the extra I paid for it.

by Linda Dilandro

I have always needed braces and finally, at the age of thirty-six, I have gotten them. At this stage of my life it was not an easy decision to have my braces applied to my teeth. However, I have always wanted to correct the incorrect bite and the misalignment of my teeth. Each dentist that I had seen over the years suggested that I do the same. But I was very hesitant about braces due to my age. I did not want to walk around with a mouth full of silver. Then I discovered that lingual braces were an option. I became very excited at the prospect of having braces that were nearly invisible; but I quickly discovered that very few orthodontists were proficient with lingual braces. Then I began seeing knowledgeable dentist who referred me to Dr. Ted Rothstein. Dr. Ted knew that correcting the problems I had would be very challenging using lingual braces, but he was up for the challenge and so we proceeded. I found that he had the patience and the skill that is necessary to be successful at such a task.

The adjustment to braces was not as grueling as I had anticipated. There was some discomfort, but I soon became accustomed to them. The use of wax helps an awful lot! I find that lingual braces are as visible or invisible as you want them to be. If you choose to tell people that they are there then they become visible. If you do not choose to tell them, then they will never know. It’s great and the results are even better. Very soon after the insertion of braces there is a difference you can see and as time progresses it gets better and better.

During the course of my treatment I became pregnant with twins. This is not usually an issue. However, I was on bed rest for at home for a month and was hospitalized for two months due to complications. During this time Dr. Ted came to my home and to the hospital on a number of occasions to fix brackets and to check on my progress. Now that is dedication to the job. He went out of his way to make sure that my progress would not be delayed and to correct problems that were uncomfortable. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated his visits; the situation I was in was uncomfortable enough. I have to say that my experience with lingual braces has been a positive one. My teeth look great and the time went by quickly. I am looking forward to having them removed soon. If only I had complied with the use of rubber bands, I would no longer be wearing braces. By the way applying rubber bands with lingual braces can be challenging but it can be done. It just takes patience and determination.

If you are considering lingual braces, Dr. Ted is the only orthodontist I would recommend.