Bill HangDental Practitioner, Lecturer at OrthO2Health

Re-Opening Extraction Spaces - A Case Study

6 Dec 2018 · 1 min

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In this clinical case presentation, the orthodontist describes a patient dissatisfied with her facial aesthetics, seeking a broader smile and fuller lips, while also experiencing facial and neck muscle tenderness and a history of frequent sinus infections (3–4 per year). The patient showed no signs of obstructive sleep apnea. The treatment plan involved using upper and lower sagittal orthodontic appliances to reopen previously extracted spaces and braces to upright the tooth roots, enabling precise tooth movements requested by the restorative dentist for optimal restorative outcomes. After completing the treatment, the patient’s facial and neck tenderness resolved, and she reported no further sinus infections, indicating both functional and aesthetic improvements.

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This patient came to me unhappy with her appearance. She wanted a broader smile with fuller lips. She did not snore and gave no reason for me to suspect that she had OSA. She did, however, have tenderness in some of her facial and neck muscles. We used upper and lower sagittal appliances to reopen her extraction spaces and braces to upright her roots. In order to give the patient the best restorative result, The dentist asked for very precise tooth movements, which we were able to provide for him. Upon completion of the treatment, the tenderness in the patient's face and neck was gone. She also reported that before treatment, she used to get 3 to 4 sinus infections a year, but has not had one since.