A Case Corrected Without Asymmetry Surgery

Hello, this is Director Kim Han-gyeol.

The weather has become quite cool.

While everyone is busy with their own work, the seasons change faithfully and keep coming back.

Wishing everyone good things this fall,

it has been a while, so I’m leaving a case record.

This patient was a middle-aged woman who started orthodontic treatment because, rather than simply having misaligned teeth,

the right side of the teeth touched first and then slipped, causing her face to look crooked and her jaw to feel uncomfortable.

After about a year,

the asymmetry improved,

and the upper and lower midlines were aligned.

Although it is not always best for all midlines to match,

in this case, the lower right molars were tilted, so when biting down, that area touched first and the entire jaw showed deviation, meaning a bend or shift.

So, even improving tooth alignment alone could bring about

improvement in asymmetry and TMJ problems.

Because I have worked extensively on collaborative treatment with View Plastic Surgery and orthognathic surgery, I have done many presurgical orthodontic cases. As a result, I have encountered many unusual orthodontic cases, and I think that, in turn, may have given me know-how that also helps in general orthodontics.

Asymmetry is something that requires a great deal of consideration.

For symmetry to be achieved, many elements must be in the right place, and even one element being off, or multiple factors combining, can create significant asymmetry.

At times like this, whether the cause of the asymmetry is the bone, the teeth, or the TMJ, and in what order the problems appeared, seems to become clear by gathering evidence through the teeth, X-rays, percussion testing, and so on.

What the patient complains of as the main symptom can also be an important clue. It is like solving a substitution problem in mathematics: the patient’s words are converted into objective dental indicators and then applied.

Today, we looked at a relatively simple case of asymmetry caused by a dental issue and resolved fairly easily.

Because this was orthodontic treatment in a middle-aged patient, she thought it over before deciding, but it has been finishing quickly without extractions, and she is now very satisfied. In cases like this, I am happy as well.

There are various cases such as protruding mouth, open bite, and underbite, but whenever I write, asymmetry seems to come up first.

I will continue to share case studies regularly.

This is Director Kim Han-gyeol of Smile View Dental Clinic near Sinnonhyeon Station. Thank you. Have a happy day.