What Can Be Done to Fix my Uneven Lips/smile? (photo)

You actually have two.  You can drop the high side with a minor amount of Botox.  This will need to be repeated every 4-6 months.  You can also have the lip moved internally by a lip tack procedure.  Our periodontist in Houston does this.

Hi:My suggestion is that at this time to do a bit of enamel recountoring to make the teeth more symmetrical and then after braces to reevaluate the entire smile.Best,Dr. Maddahi

Hello, Based on your pictures it is difficult to assess the asymmetry. Asymmetry can be due to the teeth since they provide support for soft tissue. Or it can be due to the lip and musculature itself. If due to the teeth, orthodontics or porcelain restorations would help. If due to the lips, botox to drop the lip one side or other lip procedures could help Consult with a plastic surgeon as well as cosmetic dentist to coordinate your treatment.

Hi Tiffani and thank you for your question. You have a couple of options.One , do botox injection to one side.This will need to be done periodically every 3-5 months. Second possibility is lip tuck procedure done by a periodontist.
Good luck!

First, it is difficult to see precisely what your problem is based on the photos you posted. But let me address various issues that produce an asymmetrical smile.

You first need to determine if the asymmetry that is bothering you is with your lips or with your teeth and gums?

Sometimes the lip asymmetry is caused by the way the teeth supports the lip, but more commonly patients have a muscular imbalance that makes the left and right lip and facial muscular act differently.  For example, have you ever seen the Fox news anchor Greta Van Susteren?  She has asymmetrical facial muscular.  As you might recall, she had extensive plastic surgery some 6-10 years ago, and although she looks much better, they could not correct her facial asymmetry.  If your problem is primarily muscular related I'm afraid I don't know of any form of treatment to correct it.

If however, your asymmetry is related to your teeth, jawbone, and gums, then orthodontics, oral maxillofacial surgery, and cosmetic dentistry can often be used to partially or totally correct the asymmetry.

You mentioned you have a favorite side, and this is very common.  In my cosmetic dental practice we take a lot of portrait photography on the patients who we have treated with a smile makeover.  Most all of them, even though not having a considerable facial asymmetry, find that the have a favorite side for photos.  This is true also of many models and actors.  Take advantage of that side, and continue to have your photos taken showing your best side, not the asymmetrical one.

Many times an uneven smile (and lips) are caused by an unequal amount of lip support because of misshaped, rotated, or malpositioned teeth. Teeth support the lips the way a scaffold supports a building. So here are 4 ways we can fix an uneven smile:

1. Orthodontics. Conventional fixed orthodontics (which is what you have by your photo) has become less necessary, as great results are now being accomplished with Invisalign (clear removable aligner therapy) which are less noticeable and very effective in correcting malpositioned teeth.

2. Enamelplasty. This is basically a recontouring of teeth by reshaping the enamel if one tooth is more prominent, protrussive or uneven. It should be noted that this can be performed when a conservative amount of reshaping is necessary to make a smile even.

3. Composite Bonding. Composite bonding is the application of tooth-colored resin material to lengthen, add bulk or change the shape of a tooth to provide adequate and even support to the lips and smile.

4. Porcelain Laminate Veneers. Utilizing porcelain veneers to correct imbalances in your smile remains the "gold standard" which provides maximum aesthetics and longevity. This is also the biggest financial investment that will bring years of return.

I do believe that this question is better answered after all of the ortho brackets are removed. However the muscular pull of some mid face muscles like the zygomaticus minor, nasalis, and the depressor anguli otis all work together to make the oral commisure shape on each side of your mouth. The use of botox is a new way to manage these muscles so that the symmetry could be dialed into a better "match". The botox is not permanent so it will wear off in 3-6 months and the process could take some tweaking to get the doses perfect. Training for these injections are tough to master so look for a dentist, plastic surgeon, or dermatologist that had experience and can show before and after pictures to demonstrate their skill level. hope this helps

 

Symetrical ideal smile is something that everybody is striving for in dentistry. Sometimes teeth or dental related problems can affect the expression of our face and smile, but I just want to remind you that there are other factors and it is not necesary related to the teeth. Musculature of our face, tonus and range of function are directly related with nervous system. Certain neurological symptoms manifest themselves as asymetry on the face. Also, if you would look at the nature there are no identical 2 things, even our body and our face if you divide it in the midle and compare both sides you will see the diferencies. Those little differencies are natural and considered to be normal. Your smile could be affected by the fact that you are wearing braces. After your braces are removed, if the difference in your smile angles will remain a big concern to you and you don't want to accept that then I would reccomend a consultation with plastic surgeon.

Thank you for the photos, however it is impossible to tell what is going on while you still have the braces on your teeth. Make sure you make your concerns known to your dentist as well as your orthodontist BEFORE they complete your orthodontic treatment. They might be able to do something with the braces.

Botox is the solution in your case. I would try either a good dentist that has experience with Botox or anyone that has experience with Botox.