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Office Visit: A Pioneer in Lingual by Kyle Patton, editorial assistant, Orthotown Magazine

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There are only a few practices in the world that deal exclusively with lingual braces;
Dr. Adam Schulhof owns one of them.

by Kyle Patton, editorial assistant, Orthotown Magazine

First off, what drew you to orthodontics?
Schulhof: Orthodontics is the perfect amalgamation of art, science and hands-on mechanics. I always had an eye for architecture, design and detail, and liked working with my hands. In dental school I also felt it was the most cerebral specialty. Every day and every patient offers a new challenge and adventure.

Tell us about your practice. Where is it located? How is it laid out?
What’s the workflow like?
Schulhof: Upon graduating from my orthodontic residency program, I opened a startup practice in northern New Jersey with a close friend who was a pediatric dentist. Although the cost of building a practice from scratch was very high with a very low immediate return, I was always one who looked toward the future. I knew I couldn’t work for or with a senior orthodontist as I had so many ideas and needed to put them into action.

Oftentimes, a senior partner who has been successful doing things as he has for years can be hesitant to change. My goal was not just to be successful, but enjoy what I was doing and do it to the best of my ability. Offering the absolute best for my patients included constantly keeping up with technological advances and all they offered. Opening from scratch with a new pediatric dentist, however, meant most of the practice’s patients were too young to initiate orthodontics, and so I started growing the adult portion of my practice with clear aligners and lingual orthodontics.

Surprisingly, adult orthodontics proved extremely rewarding, not just financially but emotionally. Instead of an adolescent being dragged into treatment by mom, these adult patients were here in my chair because they were strongly motivated to find the smile of their dreams. This was also something that truly affected them enough to take the time to come see me. There is a deep sense of appreciation for helping people make this life change.

It was quickly becoming apparent that clear aligners, and even yesteryear’s lingual treatment, were not the answer. I needed something to treat these great patients with the quality of finishes I was achieving on the labial.

In 2004 I discovered iBraces, which has now evolved into the Incognito Appliance System from 3M Unitek. Finally I had a lingual appliance that was as good as a labial appliance. Now I had an option not just to make my patients happy, but myself as well.

Over the next few years I quickly discovered that the Incognito System, being fully customized, was not just as good as labial, but in many cases, far superior!

Here I was in a traditional ortho/pedo practice that, untraditionally, was seeing about 50 percent adults and 50 percent lingual. I realized how much I, and even my staff, enjoyed our lingual patients and treatment and wondered how great it would be to only see lingual.

Fast forward a few years and here I sit in one of the few lingual- only practices in the world. The Schulhof Center for Cosmetic Orthodontics opened its door two years ago in a small 950 square-foot space on the Upper East Side of New York City. Real estate in NYC is ridiculous and so the practice is nothing like the 3,600 square feet of my New Jersey practice. We have though, created a wonderful modern boutique practice that caters to the patients who truly want the best in orthodontic treatment.

Tell us about your staff.
Schulhof: I am so fortunate to work with a group of people who share my vision. They understand that these teeth are attached to a human being and it’s our goal to give that patient an amazing smile and all the confidence that goes along with it. It’s not just about punching a clock for them. It’s not just a job, it’s a passion.

What does your typical day look like?
Schulhof: Practicing in NYC means accommodating patients who are coming into the city to work. We have early morning and late night appointments. This means we work certain days from 7 a.m. and others until 8 p.m., to provide before and after work appointments.

NYC also means everyone is running late all the time and so we set aside a full hour for each patient. This way if they are running late, we still have time to accommodate them. The added time also allows for the multitude of questions adults usually have, and of course, for chatting and relationship building.

OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS
Name: Adam Schulhof
Graduate From: Columbia University
Practice Name: The Schulhof Center for
Cosmetic Orthodontics
Practice Location: Upper East Side, New York City, New York
Practice Size: 950 sq. ft.
Staff: 3
Web site: www.TheSchulhofCenter.com

    Bonding Agents
  • Transbond Plus Self Etching Primer (SEP)
    – 3M Unitek
  • Assure Universal Bonding Resin
    – Reliance Orthodontic Products, Inc.

    • Brackets/Wires
  • Incognito Appliance System, Incognito Lite Appliance System
    – 3M Unitek

    • Cements
  • RelyX Unicem Self-Adhesive Universal Resin Cement
    – 3M ESPE
  • Sondhi Rapid-Set Indirect Bonding Adhesive
    – 3M Unitek

    • Class II Appliances
  • Forsus Class II Corrector


Your life story in a nutshell. Go.
Schulhof: I grew up in Staten Island, New York, one of four boys. My parents worked very hard to provide for us and always emphasized the importance of a good education. My parents instilled in us a very strong work ethic, which serves me daily. I often joke that I have many jobs. We all know what it feels like to be an orthodontist, a small business owner, a marketer, a bookkeeper, etc. It’s a lot of work. I have the two practices, plus I’m fortunate to lecture around the world, teaching hundreds of doctors the art of lingual orthodontics. In what little time I have left I act as a clinical advisor and key opinion leader for 3M.

What is it like to be involved in orthodontics? What are some of the advantages? Disadvantages?
Schulhof: I truly love being an orthodontist. Who else can say they go to work every day and make people smile? I have a job where I get to interact with people daily and make a difference in their lives. I get to work with my hands and create. I love that I can teach as well. I believe teaching makes me a better orthodontist and working clinically makes me a better teacher.

You specialize in Incognito braces, bringing patients from all over the nation to your practice. Why did you choose this specialty and what keeps patients coming to you?
Schulhof: As you can tell, I’m passionate about what I do and truly feel, we, as orthodontists, are improving people’s lives. As such, I want to help as many people as possible and want to have a solution that works for every patient walking through my door. The Incognito System provides that. When a patient is looking for an orthodontic solution that is aesthetic, and I, as an orthodontist, am looking to finish that case to our high level of perfection, the Incognito System provides for both the aesthetics and the precision.

Patients know this. They are beginning to understand the limitations of clear aligners and are seeking out better options. They are also attracted by the fact that my office doesn’t just “dabble” in lingual but that we built our reputation on it.

What’s the biggest challenge or obstacle in orthodontics today?
Schulhof: Unfortunately, the economic climate has led to many general dentists seeking out new ways to expand their services, and many orthodontic appliance companies marketing exaggerated claims direct to consumers. These combine to a disastrous result. Daily I see multiple patients who have been maltreated with clear aligners or so called “six month” treatment. They are frustrated and shocked at how misinformed they were by health-care professionals, and are now seeking a solution.

It’s easy for many doctors to fill in the patient’s chart: “patient refused conventional orthodontics” and “nice result for compromised treatment.” I disagree though. It’s not enough to say, “this was the only tool I was allowed to use, so the result is compromised.” There are other tools out there that can give a patient a perfect result and within the bounds of what they would want. If you aren’t trained to use that tool, it’s your ethical obligation to refer to someone who can. Technology is a wonderful thing, and it’s changing the face of orthodontics, but it never replaces proper training and treatment planning.

Describe one of the most rewarding moments in your professional life.
Schulhof: I am blessed to have rewarding moments every day! One of the facts of lingual orthodontics is instant feedback. Adults are always so interested in their treatment and are actively involved at every step of the way. Even the adolescents in lingual are more attuned to the changes taking place because they’re looking directly at their smile throughout treatment, their sight unhindered by labial brackets. As the changes take place, we often have patients thanking us with tears in their eyes. Adults who at one time thought they would never have the smile of their dreams are suddenly smiling ear to ear. It truly is life changing for them and I’m so proud to be a part of that.


Five to ten years down the road, what would you like to see in orthodontics? New technologies? Advancements?
Schulhof: Technology is “where it’s at” currently in our field. So much is being done in the digital arena and 3D printing is helping to make it all a reality. Anything that improves our lives and the lives of our patients is wonderful in my eyes. I just always stress to my students to never forget the basics. No matter what we are using, we still need to remember our biomechanics and to always think like an orthodontist. It’s not about the car but about the driver.

What makes your services so unique or valuable in a place like New York City, compared to other areas?
Schulhof: I actually believe lingual is important anywhere in the world. I get emails from patients all over the world who have found our website and are wanting lingual treatment so desperately. Often I will find them a local orthodontist who I know has some training, but other times they want to travel to see us. There is no specific demographic or geographic, rather there are people all over the world who want to change their lives and improve their smiles and confidence.

What form of marketing has worked best for you?
Schulhof: Marketing consists of throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. The Internet to date has been our biggest success. The challenge is getting the word out to patients that lingual even exists. Once they are aware, and that everyone is a candidate, they want it!

We heard you’re developing lingual orthodontic curriculum for residents. How did this come about and where are you in that process?
Schulhof: Lingual is finally here to stay. In my eyes it’s the future of orthodontics. As such, I’ve had numerous programs reach out to me to help train the next generation of orthodontists. If a program wants to be relevant and offer a complete well-rounded education to its residents, it needs to offer lingual. We are well on our way to completion and hopefully institution over the next year.

Lingual is an amazing addition to one’s orthodontic arsenal. It is not easy. It will get easier, but it takes work and dedication. I can say, from my own journey, that’s still ongoing, that it will be worth it to embrace it, both for yourself and especially for your patients.


DR. SCHULHOF’S TOP PRODUCTS
Dr. Schulhof discusses the products he does not want to practice without.
Incognito Appliance System

When did you start
using it?
2004 (at the time called iBraces)

Why can’t you practice without it? It allows me precise control of finishes and is the only 100 percent customized lingual appliance.

When do you use this?
For every “full” case

How do you market this to your patients? Internet and internal/external marketing

Incognito Lite
Appliance
System

When did you start using it?
2009

Why can’t you practice without it? For quick “touch up” cases, it’s a great way for patients to address their minor corrections and still have full torque control for great finishes.

When do you use this?
For every “limited” case

How do you market this to your patients?
Internet and internal/external marketing

3M True Definition Scanner

When did you start using it?
2012

Why can’t you practice without it? Allows extremely accurate “digital impression” that can be instantly uploaded to the lab. Huge marketing “wow” factor.

When do you use this?
For every patient

How do you market this to your patients?
Internet and internal/external marketing

Orthotown Magazine
September 2025
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