Crowding of the teeth

Before

After

Patient started treatment at age 11 and wore braces. He loves his new smile.

Openbite: Front teeth don't touch

Before

After

Patient sucked her thumb as a young child. She started treatment at age 13. She had braces and a special appliance — called a crib — to retrain the tongue. Now she can bite the lettuce out of a sandwich.

Deep overbite: Lower front teeth bite into palate

Before

After

This adult patient (age 25) required braces and jaw surgery to correct his severe overbite. His problem could have been corrected without surgery if he had been treated in his teen years.

Missing lateral incisors

Before

After

This patient's lateral incisors were congenitally missing. She had braces to move the teeth into the correct position, then the missing teeth were replaced with bonded "Maryland" bridges.

Underbite: Lower front teeth in front of upper teeth.

Before

After

Patient's underbite was causing her jaw joint discomfort and excessive wear patterns on her teeth. After treatment starting at age 32, she now finds smiling and chewing much easier.

Spacing of teeth

Before

After

Patient was bothered by the spaces between his teeth. Braces closed the spaces and gave him an ideal bite.

Overbite: Protruding front teeth

Before

After

At age 10, patient had a big overbite with the top teeth protruding beyond the bottom. She had two phases of treatment. The first helped her jaws to grow more harmoniously; the second aligned her teeth and bite. At age 13, she was proudly displaying her new smile.

Phase I

Before

After

Patient's parents were concerned about both aesthetics and the health of the erupting permanent teeth when they brought him to the orthodontist at age eight. The lower front teeth were crowded and they touched the palate, and the upper front teeth were extremely displaced from their normal positions. After Phase I treatment with an expander and partial braces, patient's appearance and dental function was improved.