3D printing digitally planned in-direct bonding tray

Indirect bonding (IDB) of brackets was introduced over half a century ago. Orthodontists are polarized on adopting this technique mostly because of tedious process of fabricating trays and technique sensitive nature of this protocol. Integration of digital treatment planning software packages along with user-friendly desktop 3D printing solutions transformed the traditional IDB technique into the digital indirect bonding technique with 3D printed trays. The main advantages of digital IDB technique are positioning brackets based on a simulated treatment outcome and eliminating many tedious steps in fabricating IDB trays. This article reviews the current state of digital indirect bonding, highlights factors that are important in a successful digital IDB protocol, and advantages of digital indirect bonding technique.