Treatment of Facial Asymmetry Using Clear Aligners

Abstract

There are many etiological factors that could be attributed to facial skeletal asymmetry, including but not limited to hemifacial microsomia, unilateral temporomandibular joint ankylosis especially in growing patients or hypertrophic condyle on one side due to local tumor. Functional facial asymmetry could be attributed to bilateral constricted maxilla and the patient shifts his/her mandible to one side to achieve a comfortable occlusion on one side, or it could be due to dental interference, which mainly occurs due to one tooth in cross bite, usually upper lateral incisor. In this case, treatment is recommended as soon as possible especially in growing subjects to eliminate dental interference or to expand the maxilla so that no possible remodeling can happen in both TMJ fossae and possible need for surgical intervention later in life to fix jaw asymmetry. This chapter will discuss in details careful diagnosis of a case with facial asymmetry to simplify treatment planning.

Keywords: CBCT, Chin deviation, Crossbite, Elastics, Facial symmetry, Functional shift, Root movement, Stability, Tipping, Tomogrms.