Straight teeth are only part of a beautiful smile. The other part is shape. When you smile, the upper incisors or biting edges of the teeth should be parallel with the patient's lower lip. At Excelsior Orthodontics in Purcellville, protecting that curve is built into every treatment plan Dr. Minh Nguyen and Dr. Tamana Spingher create.
What Is a Smile Arc?
In an ideal smile, the edges of the upper teeth curve upward toward the back, roughly following the curve of your lower lip. Orthodontists call this a consonant smile arc. It reads as youthful and natural. A flat smile arc, where the teeth form a straight line, can make a smile look older, even when every tooth is perfectly aligned.
You may hear people say "smile arch," but the orthodontic term is smile arc. It describes the curve your upper teeth make along your lower lip, not the shape of your jaw.
How Treatment Can Flatten a Smile
Traditional orthodontics focuses on leveling teeth into an even line. Done without care, that leveling can lift the front teeth and flatten the natural curve. Patients sometimes finish treatment with straight teeth and a smile that looks a little less lively than before.
What Smile Arc Protection Looks Like
Smile arc protection is a planning approach, not an add on. At Excelsior, it means:
- Studying your smile in photos and video before treatment starts
- Placing each bracket at a height chosen for your smile, not a standard chart
- Correcting deep bites without lifting the front teeth too far
- Designing Spark Clear Aligners movements around the same curve
- How will my smile arc look when treatment ends?
- Do you plan bracket placement around my smile?
- Will you check my smile, not just my bite, at each visit?
Who Benefits?
Everyone. Teens get a smile that grows with them. Adults whose teeth have worn flat over time can often restore some of their natural curve. Families from Leesburg, Round Hill, Hamilton, Waterford, Lincoln, Brunswick MD, and Charles Town WV choose our Purcellville office for this level of detail.
Call Excelsior Orthodontics at (540) 579-4055 or visit excelsiororthodontics.com to schedule a consultation with Dr. Minh or Dr. Spingher.
