Before & After Smile Gallery

Impacted canines are no bueno…This is a 37 y/o patient who lived with this impacted canine his whole life. He was so self conscious about it that he never smiled in pictures. We were so excited to help him achieve a beautiful smile he can proudly show off! Here we extracted the over-retained primary canine and were able to successfully move the impacted canine into the correct position. These are the sort of life changing impacts San Diego Orthodontic Specialists can do for you.

Absolutely A M A Z I N G. Dr. Li is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthodontics. His many years of additional training have him the superb skills to provide our patient’s results like this. See what Dr. Li can do for you! Call for a complimentary consultation at (858) 487-8900.

Lets talk about crowding. Crowding is probably the number one chief complaint we come across in our initial exams. At San Diego Orthodontic Specialists, we use the latest advances in orthodontics to provide the best care for our patients. This case would typically be a 24 month treatment… we were able to complete it in just 14 months using Damon braces with the Propel vPro5 vibration appliance.

Cross-bite… Open-bite… Crowding… Oh my! This patient has a triple whammy of orthodontic issues to address. Although we do try to avoid permanent tooth extraction whenever possible, in this case, by extracting 4 bicuspids, we were able to use the space to address all three orthodontic issues and achieve an aesthetic & functional result. This patient now has a beautiful smile they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

‘Does my child need two phases of treatment?’ A two phase treatment approach is not necessary for every child we see, but can greatly benefit a child if there are crowding issues or bite issues…like an overbite, underbite, or cross-bite. A two phase approach can often eliminate the need for permanent teeth to be extracted as part of the orthodontic treatment and can help achieve the best overall aesthetic and functional result. The American Association of Orthodontists recommend that children be seen by an orthodontist by age 7.

Dental crowding is one of the major reasons patients seek orthodontic treatment at San Diego Orthodontic Specialists. Well aligned teeth are easier to keep clean, decrease the chance of cavities or gum issues, and are BEAUTIFUL as well!

Our goal at San Diego Orthodontic Specialists is to create beautiful, long lasting, and functional smiles to last a lifetime! Although we generally try to avoid extracting teeth whenever possible, sometime it is necessary to do so in order to achieve the best overall result for the patient’s occlusion and overall facial esthetics.

Orthodontic treatment is not strictly for esthetics…by correcting this patient’s severe underbite, we not only improved her bite, we gave her a BEAUTIFUL new smile she can be proud of! These are LIFE CHANGING results that can change a person’s self esteem and confidence.

CONFIDENCE — You don’t think that a smile can change a person’s life? With the skill and expertise of Dr. Li, we were able to help this patient achieve a beautiful new smile which improved their confidence and self-esteem dramatically! Check out these before and after pictures and see for yourself (and yes, they are the same patient!)

How are we different? Getting results like this … This adult patient had two palatally-impacted canines and was being treated without success by another doctor for over a year before coming to see Dr. Li. The patient has a high profile profession so aesthetics was a big concern. Once we successfully brought the canines into position, we were able to finish the case beautifully with Invisalign. See what Dr. Li and his AMAZING team can do for you.

Transformation Tuesday! Let’s talk about jaw surgery. Although it may sound scary, when a patient has a significant jaw or bite issue, sometimes the only way to truly correct it is with jaw surgery. For this patient, Dr. Li worked in coordination with an oral surgeon to correct the patient’s crossbite, underbite and mandibular asymmetry, achieving a functional and aesthetically-pleasing result. See what Dr. Li can do for you.

Achieving the best results for our patients is what we do. Although we do not recommend a Phase I treatment for every child, doing an interceptive phase of orthodontic treatment can help a patient achieve a stable smile, as well as eliminate the need for permanent teeth to be extracted. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic evaluation by age 7.

What a difference a day makes.. .ok, so this took us a little longer than a day, but what HUGE transformation we were able to make in this patient’s life to now have a BEAUTIFUL new smile and FUNCTIONAL bite!

Let’s talk about crowding… Crowding is another common orthodontic issue we address. By correcting crowded teeth, we once again can achieve a beautiful smile, but equally as important, we can improve the health, cleansability, and longevity of the teeth.

Patient’s Chief Complaint: ‘I hate my snaggle tooth…’ Using the Damon System, Dr. Li was able to help her achieve a BEAUTIFUL new smile with a LIFE CHANGING RESULT.

This deep overbite case was corrected with Invisalign. Good cooperation with elastics and compliance was key for this patient to achieve his dream smile!

Can we take a moment to admire that midline though?! This case was treated with full braces to address crowding, deep bite, and a mild class II. Elastics were required to help with bite correction. With 18 months of outstanding compliance, this young lady is now able to enjoy the rest of her high school years with a beautiful smile.

D I A S T E M A — Gaps between two adjacent teeth, but they’re most common between your front two teeth. Orthodontic treatment is an EXCELLENT and CONSERVATIVE approach to address this issue, without the need for bonding, veneers or crowns.

Crossbite… Open bite… Crowding… Oh my goodness! This patient had a triple whammy of orthodontic issues to address. In this case, we were able to do no extractions to address all three orthodontic issues and achieve an esthetic & functional result. This patient now has a beautiful smile they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

Crowding is one of the most common reasons a person seeks orthodontic treatment. Whether you choose braces or Invisalign, orthodontic treatment can not only improve the health, longevity, and function of your teeth, but also can help you achieve a BEAUTIFUL new smile to last a lifetime.