Smile Makeover: Invisalign Lite and Anterior Esthetic Restorations

Anterior Esthetic Restorations and Invisalign

Hello! This is Yonsei Garden Dental, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong.

One of the most common reasons people visit the dentist is to “resolve discomfort.” However, as interest in dental esthetics has grown, many people now visit because they want to make their smile look more natural and harmonious. Some may have teeth that appear protruded, teeth that have become yellowish, irregular alignment, or restorations that have been used for a long time but look unnatural, causing them to hide their expressions whenever they smile.

When several factors are present at the same time, it is often difficult to achieve the desired result simply through orthodontic treatment or replacement of restorations because the shape, color, or alignment of the front teeth is unsatisfactory. Each patient has different concerns, and multiple factors—including tooth position, the gum line, tooth proportions, and the smile line—interact with one another. Therefore, an approach that designs a “new smile” in harmony with each patient’s individual features is becoming increasingly important.

This type of treatment approach, which analyzes the esthetic aspects of the front teeth from multiple perspectives and reconstructs an ideal smile, is called a “Smile Makeover.” Rather than simply changing a few front teeth, it combines orthodontic tooth movement, restorative treatment, gum-line adjustment, and tooth whitening when needed to create the most natural and ideal smile for each patient.

Emma Watson's Smile Makeover

In this post, we will introduce a case involving a patient with a history of anterior dental trauma for whom this Smile Makeover approach was effective. We will explain how orthodontic and restorative treatments were performed together to improve the anterior profile and overall harmony of the smile.

An old bridge resulting from trauma when young

A Smile Makeover reconstructed with Invisalign Lite clear aligners and anterior esthetic restorations

When the patient was young, they fell and injured their front teeth. Three teeth were extracted, and a bridge was made for the remaining teeth, which the patient had used for many years.

However, over time, the patient’s esthetic satisfaction had declined considerably due to:

• A bridge design that appeared to project forward overall,

• A yellowish shade that did not harmonize with the natural teeth,

• Imbalanced proportions and lengths between the left and right sides,

• Incisal edges of the front teeth that were shaped in opposition to the lip line when smiling.

The patient visited the clinic concerned that “the teeth look too protruded when I smile, and I don’t like their square shape or color.” The patient wanted more natural and brighter front teeth, as well as a front-tooth line with less protrusion.

This material was deleted in compliance with the guidelines on medical law and medical advertising, to avoid being mistaken for advertising that emphasizes treatment results or attracts patients through comparisons or emphasis of before-and-after treatment photographs.

What is a Smile Line (Smile Arc)?

It refers to the curve formed by the incisal edges of the upper front teeth as they follow the curve of the lower lip when smiling. When this curve is natural, the smile appears youthful and lively. Conversely, a Reverse Smile Line, in which the center appears higher, can make the smile look drooped or give an older impression when smiling.

By considering the smile line during treatment, the position, shape, and length of the teeth can be adjusted through orthodontic or restorative treatment to create a more natural and harmonious smile.

Ideal / Flat / Reverse Smile Line

The diagnosis showed that the lower front teeth were currently protruded forward, there were spaces between the teeth, and there was insufficient space between the upper and lower front teeth for the upper front teeth to move backward. Therefore, simply making a new upper bridge would have limitations in creating a natural anterior profile in which the front teeth appeared positioned farther back. In other words, it was determined that achieving an ideal result through replacement of the restorations alone, without orthodontic treatment, would be difficult. We therefore decided to first reposition the front teeth orthodontically in an ideal direction and then determine the final restoration design.

Treatment Plan

1. Mandibular clear aligner treatment with Invisalign Lite

• Close the spaces between the lower front teeth

• Adjust the forward-leaning angle of the lower front teeth inward

→ Create space to move the upper front teeth backward

2. Remake of the maxillary anterior esthetic bridge

• Reduce the appearance of protrusion and reposition the teeth backward

• Improve the square shape of the front teeth

• Establish harmonious width and length proportions among the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines

• Create an overall bright, translucent white shade

• Harmonize with the smile line and gum line

Phase I: Invisalign Lite

This material was deleted in compliance with the guidelines on medical law and medical advertising, to avoid being mistaken for advertising that emphasizes treatment results or attracts patients through comparisons or emphasis of before-and-after treatment photographs.

Results after mandibular orthodontic treatment

Before-and-after comparison

These are the results after approximately eight months of orthodontic treatment. With mandibular Invisalign Lite, the space between the upper and lower front teeth was increased by 2.2 mm. This created enough space to move the upper front teeth backward by that amount.

Phase 2: Anterior Esthetic Restorations

Along with the anterior restorative treatment, five tooth-whitening sessions were performed to improve the overall shade of the teeth. The patient sent several images representing the desired appearance of the teeth, and the restoration design was developed through ongoing communication with the patient based on those images.

The design desired by the patient

Adjustment of tooth proportions (square → rectangular)

Reduction in tooth size

Improvement of the protrusion angle

Improvement of the lower-positioned left dentition

Improvement of the gum line

A bright tooth shade after five whitening sessions

Because the patient wanted the teeth to be positioned farther inward, root canal treatment was also performed on the three remaining abutment teeth of the bridge, after which the final restorations were fabricated.

Restorative treatment results

This material was deleted in compliance with the guidelines on medical law and medical advertising, to avoid being mistaken for advertising that emphasizes treatment results or attracts patients through comparisons or emphasis of before-and-after treatment photographs.

Because sufficient space between the upper and lower front teeth had been secured orthodontically before the restorations were fabricated, the anterior protrusion was clearly improved. The shade was also clear and bright, making the overall impression softer and more balanced. The part that most satisfied the patient was that “the feeling of the teeth sticking out excessively disappeared, and they look natural when I smile.”

After completing treatment, the patient said they would like to receive esthetic restorations such as veneers on the premolars later to create an even more natural smile. At that time, we agreed to make further final adjustments to the smile line.

Changes in the position of the front teeth before and after treatment

This case was an integrated Smile Makeover treatment that combined orthodontic and esthetic restorative treatments in stages. First, Invisalign was used to secure the ideal space, angle, and position for the maxillary anterior restorations. The anterior restorations then re-established the shape, length, shade, and smile arc of the teeth, completing a natural and harmonious smile.

Because orthodontic and restorative treatments complement each other’s limitations, this approach is particularly effective in anterior cases requiring a high level of esthetic refinement. This case also demonstrated that synergy well. Finally, regular occlusion checks and proper restoration care are essential for maintaining long-term stability of the completed result.

The building next to BMW at the intersection by Woosung Apartments in Daechi-dong

(Across from Starbucks and Samsung Store)

Yonsei Garden Dental, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong,

offers convenient and free parking.

Consultations and inquiries: 02-501-2879