Tooth Position in the Smile II

How to determine the tooth position in a smile.

In the last Blog, I talked about lip position and the location of teeth in the smile. In this Blog, we will talk about the position of the teeth in relation to the other teeth in the mouth.

One of the least attractive features of a smile is called the reverse curve. This occurs when the front teeth are higher in position than the back teeth. This can be the result af a habit such as thumb sucking, or a failure of the teeth to erupt properly due to trauma or a malocclusion (poor bite relationship). The solution seems simple: just make the teeth longer. If we refer back to the last Blog and lip position, this could be problamatic for someone with a high or average display as the teeth may look abnormally long. Many times, orthodontic movement or a combiantion of orthodontic movement and restorations (veneers or bondings) are the treatments of choice.

The other exteme can be unattractive as well. If the front teeth are longer than the back teeth, this can give a horse-like appearance. This can be the result of poor dental work or a malocclusion. Again, orthodontic treatment or a combination may provide the best result.