You want straighter teeth. But you do not want anyone to know you are wearing braces. Metal brackets on the front of your teeth feel out of the question for work meetings or first dates. Dr. Jared Rykiss, DMD, M.Sc. Orthodontics, is an Incognito Premier Provider, one of the few Winnipeg orthodontists trained and certified to fit this exact hidden bracket system.

Plenty of patients ask about this exact scenario before they ever book a consult. That system sits alongside the lingual and hidden braces options Rykiss Orthodontics offers at all three of its Winnipeg locations. Dr. Rykiss also teaches dental students at the University of Manitoba, so he sees a wide range of bite cases up close, not just his own patients.

Key Takeaways Before You Book a Consult

Here is a quick summary before we get into candidacy, daily life, and cost.

●       Incognito is a specific brand of lingual braces, custom-made for the back of your teeth. Not every lingual system is Incognito.

●       Most bite types qualify. Very short or heavily filled teeth can limit where brackets attach.

●       A mild lisp is common for the first one to two weeks. It usually fades as your tongue adjusts.

●       Cleaning can take more effort than front braces, since the brackets sit behind your teeth.

●       Dr. Jared Rykiss holds the Incognito Premier Provider designation, a credential tied to this one system.

What Is Incognito, and How Is It Different From Generic Lingual Braces?

Incognito is a brand name for a specific lingual bracket system. Every lingual brace sits behind your teeth. But not every lingual brace is Incognito, and the difference matters more than the marketing on most dental websites lets on.

A lab builds each Incognito bracket from a mould or scan of your own teeth, using measurements unique to your bite. The shape matches your bite instead of a generic template pulled off a shelf. This is one reason people compare lingual treatment to Invisalign options so often. Both aim for a nearly invisible result. They work in completely different ways to get there.

A generic lingual system uses stock brackets. Those fit teeth in general, not your teeth exactly. Custom brackets tend to sit flatter against your tongue. That can shorten the early adjustment period some patients dread.

Rykiss Orthodontics lists hidden and lingual braces among its bracket options, alongside metal and ceramic. Not every practice offering "lingual braces" is offering the Incognito system, so it is worth asking directly which brand your orthodontist uses.

Are You Actually a Good Candidate for Lingual Braces?

Most adults with healthy teeth and gums qualify for lingual braces. This includes complex bite cases that Invisalign alone cannot fully correct. Your orthodontist checks that you have enough visible tooth surface for a bracket to bond to. Very short or teeth with large fillings can limit where brackets attach. The Canadian Association of Orthodontists notes that any bonded bracket needs a stable amount of healthy enamel. That holds true whether the bracket sits on the front of your teeth or the back.

Lingual braces often suit patients whose orthodontist already ruled out Invisalign as a full fix. Many of these patients still do not want visible metal on the front of their teeth. If your case involves major rotation, crowding, or a complex overbite, fixed braces behind your teeth can reach cases that clear aligners sometimes cannot.

A short consult usually settles the question. Dr. Jared Rykiss checks your bite pattern, your tooth shape, and how much movement your case needs before recommending Incognito over any other option.

What Does Day-to-Day Life Look Like With Incognito?

Expect a short adjustment period, mostly around speech. Many patients notice a slight lisp on "s" and "sh" sounds for the first one to two weeks. The brackets sit close to your tongue at first, which is why this happens. The Canadian Association of Orthodontists notes that a brief adjustment period is typical with any new fixed braces, not just lingual ones. Most patients speak normally again within two to three weeks.

Eating takes some adjustment too. You do not remove Incognito braces to eat, unlike Invisalign trays. Sticky and hard foods need more caution early on, the same way they do with any fixed braces. Cleaning is the part patients find hardest at first. The brackets sit behind your teeth, which is harder to see and reach than the front. Most patients settle into a routine within a couple of weeks. Learning how to maintain proper oral hygiene with lingual braces early on makes that adjustment much shorter.

Dr. Jared Rykiss's Incognito Premier Provider Designation

The Incognito Premier Provider designation is not a general marketing label. It means Dr. Jared Rykiss completed training for this exact bracket system. That sits on top of his DMD and M.Sc. in Orthodontics from the University of Manitoba. He also teaches residents and dental students at the University of Manitoba Dental School. He works through real bite cases with them, not just his own patients.

That teaching role matters for a candidacy decision like this one. Seeing a wide range of case types across students and his own patients gives Dr. Jared Rykiss a broader base for judging which bite patterns respond well to fixed lingual braces. It also helps him spot which cases do not, before you commit to treatment.

Not every orthodontist who lists "lingual braces" on a website has completed this exact training. The Incognito training process goes beyond a general orthodontic degree, and it applies to one bracket system, not lingual braces as a category. That distinction is worth asking about directly if you are comparing offices.

How Does Incognito Compare to a Generic Lingual Bracket System?

A generic lingual bracket and an Incognito bracket are not the same thing, even though both sit behind your teeth. A generic system uses the same stock bracket shapes used on the front of teeth, just moved to the back. The lab builds each Incognito bracket from a mold of your own teeth first, before it ever touches your mouth.

That difference shows up in daily comfort. A custom-fitted bracket has less bulk pressing against your tongue. That is often the biggest source of early soreness with any lingual system, and it ties directly back to the speech adjustment covered above. Less bulk against your tongue means a shorter lisp phase. Custom fit will not remove the adjustment period entirely. But patients who have tried both describe Incognito as more comfortable once the first few weeks pass, since there is simply less metal for your tongue to push against.

Cost and Treatment Time Compared to Traditional Braces

Lingual braces cost more than traditional metal braces. Each bracket is custom-built in a lab rather than mass-produced, and that lab work adds to the price. Rykiss Orthodontics does not publish a fixed price for lingual treatment on its site. The total depends on how complex your case is and how many teeth need real movement. The clearest way to get a real number is a free exam, where Dr. Jared Rykiss reviews your bite in person and gives you an exact quote.

Treatment time runs on a similar timeline to traditional braces for most cases. A truly complex bite can take longer with any braces, lingual or otherwise. Your own timeline depends on your case, not the bracket type alone. That is one more reason a real exam matters more than a guess found online. A number pulled from a website in another city tells you nothing about your own bite.

Getting Assessed for Incognito at Rykiss Orthodontics

Weighing lingual braces against clear aligners or traditional metal braces? The fastest way to know where you stand is a free exam at Rykiss Orthodontics. Dr. Jared Rykiss checks your bite and tells you honestly whether a custom lingual system is worth the extra cost for your own teeth. He also explains what your first few weeks would feel like, based on cases similar to yours.

A free exam includes a real look at your bite, not just a guess over the phone. Dr. Jared Rykiss reviews your case, takes whatever imaging your treatment plan needs, and gives you a straight answer on whether Incognito fits your teeth. You leave knowing your options, not guessing at them.

Rykiss Orthodontics has three Winnipeg locations: Tuxedo, Fort Richmond, and Garden City, all sharing one phone number. Call (204) 925-4746 to book your free exam and find out whether Incognito lingual braces are the right fit for your smile.