In What Cases Is Front Tooth Partial Orthodontic Treatment Possible? Short-Term Front Tooth Partial Orthodontics, Peg Lateral Treatment, No-Prep Laminate Veneers

Hello,

This is Yonsei Baro Dental Clinic, Apgujeong Branch, an orthodontic dental clinic in Apgujeong.

Today, I’ll introduce a short-term front tooth partial orthodontic treatment case for peg lateral teeth and crowded teeth.

First, I’ll answer a question many people are curious about.

Is it really possible to treat crowded teeth with front tooth partial orthodontic treatment?

Yes, treating crowded teeth with front tooth partial orthodontic treatment is possible. However, it is not applicable in every case, and it is only limited to cases where the molar bite is stable.

If the crowding is severe, or if there are overall alignment problems or skeletal issues,

partial orthodontic treatment has limitations, so full orthodontic treatment may be necessary.

In the case I’m introducing today, the molar bite was already well aligned,

so front tooth partial orthodontic treatment alone was sufficient to improve the crowding.

In what cases is front tooth partial orthodontic treatment possible?

Front tooth partial orthodontic treatment is more likely to be possible under the following conditions.

When the molar bite is properly aligned

When the alignment problem is limited to the front teeth

When there is no protruding mouth or skeletal problem

If these conditions are met,

it is possible to achieve good results with front tooth partial orthodontic treatment without full orthodontic treatment.

On the other hand, if the bite itself is unstable

or if overall tooth movement is needed,

full orthodontic treatment is more appropriate than partial orthodontic treatment.

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Although the problems such as crowded teeth, peg lateral teeth, deep bite, and midline mismatch may seem complex,

I will introduce what results are possible in a short period with front tooth partial orthodontic treatment.

The patient visited us in October 2023 to straighten the front teeth, including the canine crowding.

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The patient had a wedding scheduled soon and said that full orthodontic treatment would also be a burden.

They wanted short-term front tooth partial orthodontic treatment with minimal intervention.

After checking, fortunately the molar bite was favorable, and front tooth partial orthodontic treatment was possible.

I recommend short-term front tooth partial orthodontic treatment only when it can achieve results comparable to full orthodontic treatment.

If full orthodontic treatment is unavoidable, I do not recommend short-term front tooth partial orthodontic treatment.

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The blue arrow indicates a peg lateral tooth, and the back molar alignment excluding the front teeth is already favorable.

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The blue arrow indicates a peg lateral tooth.

When there are crowded teeth or peg lateral teeth, the front tooth midline is often shifted toward that side.

In front tooth partial orthodontic treatment, the midline is often sacrificed, but if laminate veneer treatment is used to restore the peg lateral tooth to a normal size, it is possible to finish while also correcting the midline.

Therefore, after front tooth partial orthodontic treatment, we also recommended no-prep laminate veneer treatment for the peg lateral tooth.

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In the photo on the right, you can see that the first premolar bite is open.

Typically, front tooth partial orthodontic treatment targets only the six front teeth from canine to canine,

but in order to improve the bite, we decided to place appliances on a total of eight teeth, one posterior to the canine on each side.

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This is a photo from the final stage of treatment. Partial orthodontic treatment is being carried out with appliances attached only to the upper 8 and lower 8 front teeth.

A spring has been inserted to create space for the laminate veneer for the peg lateral tooth.

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After 7 months, the orthodontic treatment was completed, and space was created near the peg lateral tooth for the laminate veneer.

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Using that space, the no-prep laminate veneer, Jellami, was also completed.

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The peg lateral tooth was restored to the same size and shape as the tooth on the opposite side.

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The peg lateral tooth indicated by the blue arrow was treated to normal size.

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The crooked front teeth were also straightened.

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The first premolar, which had an open bite, also returned to its proper position.

The deep bite, where the front teeth overlapped too much, was also improved to some extent.

The improvement in the midline is also noticeable.

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Many things improved with front tooth orthodontic treatment.

A natural smile also returns.

Isn’t front tooth partial orthodontic treatment limited because it is short-term?

Many people think that front tooth partial orthodontic treatment is

"a simple treatment, so the results will also be limited."

But in reality,

if the case selection and treatment plan are accurate,

there are many cases where partial orthodontic treatment alone can achieve results comparable to full orthodontic treatment.

However, because it cannot be applied to every patient,

an accurate diagnosis is the most important thing.

Since front tooth partial orthodontic treatment is performed over a short period and only on some teeth, it is easy to think that many things must be given up compared with full orthodontic treatment, which takes 1 to 2 years.

However, with an appropriate treatment plan and skill, many problems can be solved.

Front tooth partial orthodontic treatment is not simply a treatment that corrects only some teeth,

but a treatment that can be expected to achieve a high level of completion when supported by an accurate diagnosis and plan.

In particular, when there are complex concerns such as peg lateral teeth, crowded teeth, or midline problems,

a combined approach that considers both orthodontics and prosthetic treatment is needed.

We recommend getting an accurate diagnosis to see whether your case is suitable for partial orthodontic treatment.