Below are case studies of common problems patients have. You can see the dramatic improvement/change in their before and after images.
All patients below have been treated by Dr. Collin Tsai and written permission have been obtained to display their photos on this website. Due to variations from individual to individual, final results may vary.
Case 1: Crowding of the teeth
Patient started treatment at 12 years old and wore braces for 17 months. He loves his new smile and happy that he doesn’t need to wear braces in high school.
before
after
Case 2: Spacing of teeth (Gaps)
Patient felt that her teeth stuck out and hated the spacing or gaps between her teeth. She started when she was 16 years old. Unfortunately, Dr. Collin was not able to get her braces off before high school graduation, but was able to remove them before she went away for college. She had braces for 17 months. She also had a special procedure (frenectomy) done to trim the strong muscle attachment between her two upper teeth to have added security so the spacing or gaps won’t return after braces were removed.
before
after
Case 3: “Underbite” (Lower teeth are in front of upper teeth)
Patient had multiple consultations with other orthodontists and they all told him he needed jaw surgery to correct his underbite. He did not want jaw surgery. He was informed that Dr. Collin will do his best to correct his underbite without jaw surgery with no guarantees. Patient wore his elastics extremely well and had a great result without the need for surgery.
before
after
Case 4: Open Bite (Front teeth don’t touch)
Patient had a thumb sucking habit since she was a little girl. Although she stopped the habit when she got older, the open bite still remained. Her main concern was that she can’t chew anything with her front teeth. She wore elastics well so no extra device or appliances were needed. The total treatment in braces took 19 months and she can finally bite the lettuce in her burger.
before
after
Case 5: Phase I (Child Braces)
Parents were concerned that their 8 year old daughter is having “jaw problems.” She was developing an open bite and an “underbite.” Patient had braces for 18 months. An expander was placed for 6 months. She also wore elastics extremely well. Her bite was corrected. Addressing the jaw discrepancies with early interceptive braces (Phase I) can prevent the need for extractions and jaw surgery in the future.
before
after
Case 6: Anterior Crossbite (The lower teeth are behind the upper teeth)
Patient started treatment at age 13 with damage to the gums of his tooth (gingival recession) already present due to the crossbite. He wore braces for 15 months. The teeth were aligned. However, the damage to the gums of his teeth caused by the crossbite was permanent. If he started treatment earlier (approximately age 8) with early interceptive braces (Phase I), the damage to the gums could have been prevented or at least limited to a lesser degree.
before
after
Case 7: Excessive Overjet (Front teeth protruding)
Patient did not like that her teeth were not straight and they stuck out. To properly straighten the teeth and prevent the teeth from sticking out further, four teeth were removed and the spaces were closed. Braces were worn for 26 months.
before
after
Case 8: Cleft Plate
In very extreme cases, children born with cleft palate has to undergo very extensive surgery at a young age to repair an opening in their palate. This stunts the growth of the maxilla (upper jaw), causing teeth to be extremely misaligned and a giving them a huge “underbite.” This patient had years of orthodontic treatment and we got the chance to watch him grow up and become more confident as his smile and bite improved. His bite was corrected without the need for jaw surgery. We treat many patients born with cleft palate in hopes to improve their self-esteem.
before
after