Facial asymmetry turns out to be caused by tooth alignment—can be improved with orthodontics!

Hello.

I’m Dr. Park Yeol, a specialist in orthodontics.😃

Today, I’d like to talk about facial asymmetry caused by problems with tooth alignment.

Facial asymmetry, mostly caused by tooth alignment!

Can be improved with orthodontics :)

Why does facial asymmetry happen?

Some people are naturally born with facial asymmetry.

In these cases, one side of the upper or lower jaw grows longer than the other side.

That is something they are born with congenitally, and compared with that, there are many more cases of asymmetry caused by tooth alignment.

Not many people look in the mirror and think, “My face is symmetrical.”

Most people think there is some degree of asymmetry, either slight or significant.

For most of these people, the asymmetry is caused by tooth alignment.

If the teeth are not aligned evenly, a one-sided chewing habit becomes fixed during adolescence, and later even the skeleton can become asymmetrical.

For growing adolescents, if the upper and lower teeth are not aligned evenly, the left and right sides do not bite symmetrically.

Biting more toward the left or right, on one side, is often more comfortable for chewing. There are probably many adolescents like this.

These adolescents may not initially have much skeletal asymmetry, but because the tooth alignment is off, the bite shifts to one side, a chewing habit becomes fixed, and later the skeleton also becomes asymmetrical.

Compared with cases where the skeletal asymmetry is present from the beginning, there are far more cases where the skeleton is normal but the tooth alignment is uneven, and asymmetry develops as they grow.

So then, what kinds of tooth alignment cause asymmetry?

What kind of tooth alignment creates asymmetry?

1. Wisdom teeth High school to college age

There are adolescents whose wisdom teeth come in during high school or after entering college, right? But wisdom teeth often do not erupt evenly. If a wisdom tooth comes in crooked or only on one side, the upper and lower bite can become misaligned, and the face may become asymmetrical.

2. Second large molars Middle school 1st to 2nd grade period

There is a back molar that comes in during the first or second year of middle school.

That molar is the second large molar, and because there is not enough space, if the back molar comes out shifted outward, the bite shifts to one side, a one-sided chewing habit can become fixed, and asymmetry may worsen.

Before correction of scissors bite

After correction of scissors bite

As you can see in the photo above, this is called a ‘scissors bite.’ In this case, the person left the scissors bite untreated and received orthodontic treatment after entering college. After treatment, as the scissors bite was corrected, the facial asymmetry also improved a lot.

3. Reverse bite An upside-down bite

Another case is when a ‘reverse bite’ causes asymmetry. A reverse bite means that the upper teeth do not cover the lower teeth, and instead the lower teeth cover the upper teeth.

This reverse bite can occur in both the front teeth and the molars, and if left as is, the asymmetry becomes more severe.

The earlier this kind of reverse bite is addressed, the greater the improvement in asymmetry.

4. Missing teeth

In addition, if teeth are congenitally missing, or if permanent teeth are lost early, the neighboring teeth may shift and the bite may change, which can cause asymmetry.

5. When teeth are pushed inward

As shown in the photo above, some teeth come in pushed inward toward the roof of the mouth.

In such cases, the positions of the adjacent teeth also change, which changes the upper and lower bite, and the lower jaw shifts as well. As a result, one side becomes dominant in daily use, and asymmetry gradually develops.

Therefore, if the upper tooth alignment like in the photo is corrected, the lower jaw returns to its proper position when biting, and that is how the asymmetry improves.

If you feel like your face is asymmetrical, consider getting an orthodontic consultation during adolescence!

If tooth alignment is poor, then to varying degrees, asymmetry will definitely occur. Among your family or acquaintances, especially adolescents, check whether children with uneven upper and lower tooth alignment also have facial asymmetry.

If there is even a slight feeling of asymmetry, please consider an early orthodontic consultation.

Through orthodontic treatment, not only can tooth alignment be improved, but improvement in facial balance and asymmetry can also be expected.😃

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I’m Park Yeol, your lifelong doctor🩺

Based on 20 years of experience, I introduce trustworthy dental information.😃