How Orthodontics Can Improve Facial Balance

Before and after orthodontic treatment showing improved facial balance. Treatment by Prima Smile Dental Group.

Introduction

A confident look is more than just straight teeth — it’s about harmony across the entire face. Facial balance plays a key role in how we look and feel. When your face is in balance, you project confidence, and others perceive you more positively. Orthodontics can do more than straighten your teeth — it can also enhance the overall appearance of your face.

The Position of Jaw Alignment in the Facial Profile

Your jaws support your teeth, lips, and cheeks. When the jaws are out of alignment — either too far forward or too far back — the entire face can look unbalanced.

• A retruded lower jaw may create a weak chin or double-chin appearance.

• A jaw that is too far forward may create an unnaturally prominent look.

Correct alignment helps the lips rest naturally, improving both function and aesthetics. Orthodontic treatment can guide jaw position into better harmony, creating a straighter, more balanced profile and preventing the face from looking too convex or too concave.

The Role of Jaw Height in Symmetry and Proportions

Differences in jaw height from side to side can create asymmetry of the face and lips, reducing facial aesthetics. Orthodontics can help improve these essential foundational factors:

• Slanted smile line & canted occlusal plane: Differences in jaw height can cause one side of the lips and teeth to appear higher than the other, creating an uneven smile.

• Symmetry: One side of the jawline may appear more prominent, disrupting the harmony across the face.

• Proportions: A lower jaw that is too long or too short can disrupt facial proportions, making the face appear excessively long or short. Correcting these proportions greatly enhances appearance.

The Underdeveloped Jaw, Flat Midface, and Philtrum Area

A narrow or underdeveloped upper jaw can make the smile look collapsed and the midface appear flat. This may also cause:

• A narrow smile arc with noticeable empty spaces (buccal corridors).

• A flat philtrum area when smiling.

• Deeper nasolabial folds, even when not smiling.

Real-Life Transformations

Before-and-after orthodontic cases often show more than straighter teeth. Patients frequently notice:

• Improved jawline and chin symmetry.

• Better balance between the upper and lower face.

• Fuller, more confident smiles.

• Softer, more natural lip posture.

These improvements highlight how orthodontics contributes to the whole face — not just the teeth.

✅ Key Takeaway

Orthodontics creates balance in your smile and your entire face.