The Dental Facelift ^®

Congenital Malocclusion Juvenile Bite Dynamics

Malocclusion consisting of a closed bite can make many young adults appear to have a collapsed smile. This condition is typically characterized by insufficient bite height.

Elsewhere on this site another somewhat similar case was described where congenitally missing teeth was causing bite dynamics and smile behaviors that were not normalized for the patient’s face…. nor her age.

Our featured patient had an occlusal, closed bite problem related to having juvenile or baby teeth that failed to undergo the normal adult teeth replacement process… which is fairly common. The excessive tooth spacing caused speech problems….. particularly the patient’s ability to articulate the “s” sound.

Reconstructive and rehabilitative dentistry provides a variety of treatment options for correcting or normalizing adult tooth structures that can create what Mother Nature failed to provide, developmentally.

Our patient was keenly aware of her condition and felt it was affecting her self confidence and spontaneous ability to smile broadly. It was also beginning to affect her participation in public speaking exercises as a college student.

The patient was quite knowledgeable about her condition and the common treatments available to her. Research on the internet led to several interviews and consultations with restorative and reconstructive dentists in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles area.

Our patient had no interest in having dental implant surgery nor did she want to have extensive porcelain crown tooth replacements.

She felt the procedures were much too invasive for her age and the existing condition of her teeth and jawbone structures.

Minimally invasive and, ideally, non invasive procedures and products were being sought by our patient that would create the normal bite height and occlusion while producing a cosmetic result of having a full, broad smile.

In simple terms, our patient didn’t want to be self conscious about smiling and particularly wanted a smile that had adult characteristics…. rather than juvenile.

After completing a consultation with Dr. Muslin, the patient was provided several treatment possibilities that could avoid the use of treatments she was seeking to avoid.

The patient was provided examples of patients who had undergone occlusal rehabilitation that used custom fabricated veneer products that would effectively address the needed changes in tooth height, width and biting surfaces that could eliminate the use of crowns and/or implants.

Articulation studies and diagnostic waxup models provided the technical information and also cosmetic qualities that would be used to treat each tooth individually. Each low prep feldspathic veneer was created with unique physical characteristics that corresponded with the location of each treated tooth, with special occlusal properties that would change bite height.

At the request of the patient, Dr. Muslin assured that her new tooth structures would not be too large for her smile nor chunky looking. She was very focused on having the veneers create an appearance of having teeth that “belonged” to her smile and facial characteristics.

Our patient was very excited about the outcome. Several weeks later, during a follow up consultation, the patient remarked that most of her friends and acquaintances, especially at school, had complimented her on her “new smile”…. but couldn’t determine what was done. Some people had assumed she finally got her braces off (she never had braces).

Have questions about how complex reconstructive or restorative dentistry can create facial characteristics that failed to develop due to missing or juvenile sized teeth ? Call us at (310) 829-6796 to arrange a consult or use our online Consultation form.