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Recommended Procedure? Asymmetry? (photo)

I have had my braces off for 7 months now and am currently wearing my retainer 24/7 until my orthodontist tells me otherwise. I can't help but wonder whether my procedure actually made my mouth more asymmetrical (from the outside) or it maybe is natural. Whatever the case, my left side is crisp and sharp, and I like it, despite my dimple. The right, on the other hand, has that long groove pulling on my nose too much. Even my default, non-smiling face shows how pronounced this asymmetry is! TY

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asymmetry 7 months post-op retainer
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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by Switchblade
+2

SOFT TISSUE ASSYMETERY

I am an orthodontist and have treated a lot of cases. I don't know of anything related to the orthodontic treatment that would cause an asymmetry of this type. I would suspect some kind of soft tissue irregularity such as scarring of some time (contracture). I would go back and look at pre orthodontic treatment photos to see if there is any evidence of it at that time. During orthodontic treatment patients begin to look at themselves much more closely and can... more
+1

Interesting. I wonder what your before photos look like

Interesting case, Orthodontics generally only moves teeth. The folds and lines in your lips / face are muscle-related and not teeth related. Orthodontics shouldn't affect those areas, but it would be interesting to see what your beginning and progress photos look like. Do you have photos of pre-orthodontic treatment? Most of our patients notice things about themselves during and post-treatment that they didn't even notice before. Interesting ... more

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UPDATE. As far as I can tell, by looking at some of my highschool pictures, a few years pre-treatment as well as a post-installment (about 6 months after braces were put in), my smile was pretty uneven to begin with.
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