The Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital has organised a three-day hands-on workshop on lingual orthodontics.
Orthodontists generally advise braces to set right malformed teeth. These braces are worn over the teeth and are visible. But for adults who do not wish their braces to be seen, dentists have developed braces which are worn inside the mouth and remain invisible.
These braces are called lingual braces and the technique of developing them is a sub-speciality in orthodontics, explained S.M. Balaji, hospital founder.
As only a handful of orthodontists specialise in lingual braces the hospital decided to hold a workshop, said C. Deepak, consultant orthodontist who conducted the workshop at the hospital.
W.S. Manjula, Head of the Orthodontics Department at the Government Dental College, who was a special invitee to the workshop which was inaugurated by School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday, said the government-run dental hospital received thousands of children and adults with malformed teeth.
The workshop is aimed at sensitising orthodontists to cater to the requirements of youngsters who can afford the expensive treatment, he added.
