The Indirect Bonding Technique in Orthodontics—A Narrative Literature Review

The technique described as indirect bonding is an alternative to the conventional intraoral method of bracket placement. The appliance position is planned and fixed on a plaster model and then transferred into the oral cavity. Indirect bonding is a precise and time-saving technique of bracket placement, growing in popularity in recent years. It provides a combination of great precision with time efficiency. The fundaments of the indirect bonding technique are presented here. From the first clinical trial conducted almost fifty years ago, the method has evolved; the progress that has been made is described. Modern technologies involving computer scanning and manufacturing have led to great precision in bracket placement. Digital innovations such as rapid prototyping and stereolithography open up a new avenue of research and represent the next steps in indirect technique development. Individual 3D transfers are convenient in difficult clinical cases and can improve the effectiveness of the procedure, reduce the number of technical stages and reduce total chairside time. This paper also summarizes the advancement in adhesive materials, including an overview of advantages and disadvantages of different types of bonding resins and of the mean shear bond strength (SBS) achieved in the indirect procedure.