CASE REPORT
Treatment Planning and Diagnosis
A 27-year-old female who was unhappy with her smile presented to our office. A comprehensive examination was performed,6 which included evaluation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), a full periodontal examination, and evaluation of the teeth with shape and color noted. A complete intraoral radiographic and photographic series was taken. Her smile was then evaluated, and it was clinically evident that she had an incisal cant that was higher on the right side than on the left. This was apparently caused by a developmental asymmetry that allowed her left condyle to grow longer than her right side. Her face, lips, and teeth were all lower on the left side (Figures 3 and 4). She had completed orthodontic treatment several years earlier, but the asymmetry was not corrected. As a result, the axial inclinations of the individual teeth were also inappropriate (Figures 5 to 7).
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Figure 3. The patient’s left side lower lip is canted downward. |
Figure 4. Preoperative photo showing the canted lip and incisal plane. |
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| Figure 5. The teeth are angled medially, with more angulation toward the posterior. | Figure 6. Preoperative retracted full-mouth view (1:2 magnification). |
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| Figure 7. Preoperative retracted close-up view (1:1 magnification). |