Caroline Holland on a lingual dilemma. What happens if you are credited with providing treatment to a famous person when you are not the clinician and can claim no part in the transformation?

The potential dilemma comes in the wake of stories about Kate Middleton's smile. According to some royal commentators, Kate benefited from lingual treatment before her big day. Indeed, several orthodontists have been associated with her in the popular media.

Sarah Hepburn of the Harley Street Orthodontic Clinic was quoted in Hello in an article describing the lingual technique and featuring a picture of Kate Middleton. It wasn't suggested in the article that Dr Hepburn treated the Duchess, but it could be inferred that she did.

The fact is, Dr Hepburn is an authority on the lingual technique and Secretary of the British Lingual Orthodontic Society. She would be a likely choice. Soren Holm, Professor of Bioethics at Manchester University, commented: ‘In PR terms, having treated Kate Middleton or having claims made that you did is not a bad thing. There is no professional or moral obligation to deny you have done something.’

Stories about celebrities are inevitably embarrassing because the clinician does not want to be perceived to be breaching confidentiality. Indeed any attempt to make a press statement denying you have done something could make the situation worse. It could give more publicity when the person concerned would rather the story died down. And you might not be believed anyway.

Professor Holm continued: ‘While you do have a strong right to disassociate yourself from something that has been done, no-one might believe you. In the case where it is true you could find yourself charged with breaching confidentiality and blatant self-promotion. I would lean towards not saying anything.’

Lingual orthodontics is now a technique widely taken up around the UK. The beautiful and famous have been in the vanguard. Models, actresses, TV presenters and now, possibly, royalty. But please note the doubt here. I really don't know who treated Kate or if indeed she had treatment. But if she did, a member of BLOS (the British Lingual Orthodontic Society) would be a very good start! www.blos.co.uk