Description

We describe a novel treatment approach combining lip shortening and orthognathic surgery to correct a long face syndrome atypically associated with a long upper lip in a 37-year-old Caucasian woman. To avoid the unpleasant deficient display of the maxillary teeth at rest and upon smiling after Lefort 1 maxillary impaction, the upper lip was shortened surgically resulting in a remarkable improvement of facial esthetics and achieving optimal relations between upper lip and maxillary teeth at rest and during smile. The treatment protocol and conditions for its application are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Diagnose a long upper lip in adult patients and evaluate the need of a soft tissue surgical approach.
• Identify constitutional limitations and individual anatomical variation that may negatively affect the esthetical outcome of the orthognathic surgery.
• Plan a onetime surgery of the soft and hard tissues for optimal esthetical and functional results.

Speaker(s):

• Anthony Macari, DDS, MS