Patient Stories: Melissa

Orthodontists are responsible for far more than just straight teeth and they must have the knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive treatment of the patient’s orthodontic concerns. Our patient Melissa is a dental hygienist who came to us concerned with the appearance of her smile and bite.

As part of our initial consultation, we discussed improving her bite and smile arc, but she was also concerned about her gummy smile which was due to reduced lip volume. We also brought to her attention an undersized upper right lateral incisor which was creating an open gingival embrasure that she mentioned was an esthetic concern and was impacting food. By combining Invisalign with soft tissue fillers, we were able to provide an excellent orthodontic result.

Treatment Overview

Treatment Time

10 Months

Treatment Type

Invisalign
Dermal Fillers

Patient Concerns

Smile Esthetics
Overbite
Gummy Smile
Black Triangles

Before

Initial Flat Smile Arc

Initial Vermillion Deficiency

Initial Mild Open Bite

Black Triangle Due to Small Lateral

After

Smile Arc & Lip Frame Corrected

Lip Volume Balanced

Open Bite Corrected

Black Triangle Improved

What Did We Do For Her?

Using Invisalign and rubber bands we were able to correct her bite and improve her smile arc so that it was balanced along her lower lip contour. Because of the efficiency of Invisalign we were able to accomplish all this in under a year. The patient’s concerns regarding her excessive gingival display and black triangle were addressed at the end of orthodontic treatment.

Her reduced lip volume leading to a gummy smile was treated with Juvederm soft tissue filler. The patient was informed that her black triangle from the shape and size of her lateral incisor would be best treated with a dental restoration, but we were able to achieve substantial improvement using Papilla Engineering Injections.™ She was very happy with the result.