| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | OA-0115 |
| Type | bracket |
| Category | bracket |
| Fixed/removable | fixed (lingual) |
| Primary function | fully customized lingual fixed orthodontics |
| Inventor | Dirk Wiechmann (2001) |
| Acquired by | 3M Unitek (2007) — marketed as iBraces |
| Material | gold alloy bracket (custom CAD/CAM fabricated) |
| Period | modern |
| Status | current (as iBraces) |
The Lingualcare bracket system, developed by Dirk Wiechmann in 2001 and acquired by 3M Unitek in 2007 (rebranded as iBraces in the US), represents the gold standard of customized lingual orthodontics. Each bracket is individually designed by computer, fabricated from gold alloy using CAD/CAM technology, and features an extremely low profile to maximize patient comfort and minimize speech disruption. The companion wire-bending robot produces fully customized archwires for each patient. The result is a lingual appliance as precise as labial straight-wire, with the bracket geometry computed to deliver the prescribed finish from the patient's digital setup.
A digital 3D setup is created from the patient's scans, defining the target tooth positions. Bracket bases are custom-computed to sit passively on each tooth's lingual surface with the prescribed bracket prescription built into the base geometry — no built-in torque errors from a standard prescription. Robotically bent wires deliver precise forces to bring teeth from their initial position to the digital target. The low-profile gold alloy brackets minimize tongue irritation. Full-arch treatment is possible (not just anterior).
Adults requiring full-arch fixed treatment who demand absolute invisibility; comprehensive Class I, II, or III correction via lingual approach; high-profile patients (professionals, performers) for whom visible brackets are unacceptable; practitioners certified in the Lingualcare/iBraces technique.
Requires specialized practitioner training (iBraces certification); highest cost of any bracket system; long turnaround time for custom bracket fabrication (2–3 weeks); speech disruption during initial weeks; significant clinical skill required for lingual bonding.
Fabricated entirely by the Lingualcare/iBraces laboratory, not by a general dental lab. Practitioners submit digital scans and setup approval; the central lab produces all components. Not a CFL product.
(succeeds Lingualcare/iBraces)
with indirect bonding trays; most common premium lingual system
alternative to Incognito
Incognito) with digitally planned custom archwires
passive clip reduces chairtime
and Incognito in customization level
JCO](https://www.jco-online.com/archive/2005/06/375-digital-design-and-manufacturing-of-the-lingualcare-bracket-system/)
Products](https://orthodonticproductsonline.com/treatment-products/brackets-wires/brackets/3m-to-acquire-lingualcare-2007-10-08-09/)
alloy, 3M acquisition, iBraces rebranding.