Improving Gaps Between the Front Teeth, Peg Laterals, and Space Between the Lower Front Teeth with Invisalign Lite and Veneers

Gapped Teeth, 연세정원치과

Hello. I am Dr. Yoon Jeong-won of 연세정원치과, located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu.

Today, I would like to introduce the case of a female patient who experienced aesthetic concerns when smiling due to spaces between her teeth and small teeth, as shown in the photos below. A space between the front teeth is called a diastema, and this case involved a combination of issues related to a peg lateral and spaces between the lower front teeth.

Initial examination photos, September 11, 2025 (연세정원치과)

Initial condition

The patient’s primary concerns were the space between her front teeth that was visible when she smiled and the small size of her upper left lateral incisor. The examination showed a noticeable space between the upper central incisors, or a diastema, while the upper left lateral incisor had a congenitally small, peg-shaped form.

The lower front teeth were also relatively small, resulting in several spaces between them and an overall lack of balance in the alignment of the teeth.

In such cases, simply closing the spaces with veneers can result in an unnatural tooth ratio: there may be insufficient space around the peg lateral while a gap remains between the central incisors. In addition, the spaces between the lower front teeth had resulted in an occlusion in which the upper and lower front teeth were in contact.

Therefore, considering both aesthetics and function, we planned to first ideally rearrange the tooth positions and spaces with Invisalign before proceeding with the final restorative treatment.

Treatment plan

In this case, treatment was carried out in the following order.

• Tooth movement using Invisalign Lite

Rearrangement of the space in the upper anterior region

• Management of the space in the lower anterior region

• Veneers to improve the shape of the peg lateral

In other words, our goal was to first ideally adjust the tooth positions and distribution of spaces through orthodontic treatment, and then achieve a natural and aesthetic result with minimal restorative treatment.

Invisalign, 연세정원치과

Space rearrangement using Invisalign Lite

Using Invisalign Lite, we closed the upper midline diastema and distributed the space evenly around the peg lateral.

We closed the approximately 1 mm space between the upper front teeth and redistributed 0.5 mm to each side of the upper left peg lateral to secure the space needed for the subsequent veneer treatment. We also closed the spaces in the lower anterior region to establish a more stable anterior occlusion.

After completing wear of the first set (14 stages) (연세정원치과)

These photos were taken after completing all 14 stages of the first set. The spaces between the front teeth and between the lower front teeth were mostly closed, but because the space around the peg lateral was slightly insufficient, we decided to create additional aligners. After completing 13 stages of the additional aligners, there was still a slight difference between the upper and lower dental midlines. However, the planned 0.5 mm of space had been secured around the peg lateral, so we proceeded with veneer fabrication.

After completing wear of the additional aligners (13 stages) (연세정원치과)

Improving the shape of the peg lateral with a veneer

After completing orthodontic treatment, whitening was performed, followed by placement of a no-prep veneer on peg lateral #22.

Because a peg lateral is small in size by nature, it is often difficult to create an ideal tooth proportion through orthodontic treatment alone. In this case, we fabricated a veneer to fit the space secured through orthodontic treatment, completing a natural and balanced tooth shape without removing tooth structure.

An aesthetic result in harmony with the surrounding teeth was achieved while minimizing the amount of tooth reduction.

Photos after veneer placement on the peg lateral (연세정원치과)

Treatment results

After treatment,

• the diastema was improved, naturally closing the space between the front teeth;

• the size and shape of peg lateral #22 were restored to a normal proportion;

• the spaces between the lower front teeth were also managed; and

• a more balanced and stable smile was achieved.

A particular feature of this case was that a natural result was achieved by appropriately combining orthodontic and restorative treatment.

When a diastema or peg lateral is present, it is important to develop a treatment plan that considers the size and proportion of the teeth, the gum line, and the occlusal relationship together. When a peg lateral is involved, first ideally distributing the space through orthodontic treatment and then performing veneer treatment or composite resin restoration can help achieve a more natural and stable long-term result. If you are concerned about gaps between your front teeth or peg laterals, significant improvement may be possible through a treatment plan tailored to your individual dental condition.

#OrthodonticTreatment #Invisalign #SpaceBetweenFrontTeeth #PegLateral #Veneers