The Case for The Nose - Lip Angle - William M. Hang DDS MSD
In this clinical lecture, Dr. William M. Hang emphasizes the nasolabial (nose‑lip) angle as a key aesthetic indicator, noting that an angle around 100° is ideal while many Class II patients exhibit an overly obtuse angle due to maxillary retrusion. He argues that conventional orthodontic practices—extractions and tooth retraction—often worsen this angle, producing the so‑called “orthodontic look” where the maxilla appears to melt away. Hang advocates for a forward‑positioning approach using BioBlock orthotropics to lift the nose‑lip angle, illustrating his point with a mother‑daughter case study: the mother’s face was flattened by extractions and retraction, whereas the daughter’s treatment retained or opened space for implants/veneers and advanced the teeth, resulting in a more attractive facial profile. He concludes that proper attention to the nasolabial angle and forward maxillary positioning yields superior aesthetic outcomes compared to traditional extraction‑heavy protocols.
