The narrow smile with shadows at the corners

Before treatment — in their own words (written from the clinical picture)

“I never really liked how my smile looked — it seemed narrow, with dark gaps at the sides. My teeth on one side didn’t seem to come together properly, and I felt like my chin was a little off to one side. I just wanted my smile to look fuller and even.”

The clinical picture

Examination showed a narrow upper arch with prominent empty buccal corridors — the dark spaces at the corners of the smile — and a complete crossbite on the right posterior. The lower midline had shifted to the right and the chin was deviated slightly to the same side, consistent with the jaw adapting to the crossbite. The arch was narrow enough that significant, stable expansion was needed.

The plan

Because the expansion required was substantial, a mini-implant-supported expansion device was planned to widen the upper arch skeletally and reliably, working with Invisalign for alignment. Widening the arch would correct the right-sided crossbite, fill the dark corners of the smile, and let the lower jaw — and the chin — settle back toward centre.

The outcome

Over eighteen months the upper arch was widened, the right posterior crossbite was corrected, and the empty buccal corridors filled in, giving a broader, fuller smile. With the crossbite gone, the lower midline and the chin re-centred. The teen finished with a wider, more even smile and a bite that met correctly on both sides.