Case Study 44 – Frankel

This patient was self-conscious about the spacing and prominence of her upper front teeth. She wore a retainer full time for about 9 months during which time the spaces closed and her upper front teeth were moved back into contact with the lower teeth. The retainer is known as a “Frankel” and is not for everyone. Use of a Frankel retainer should be limited to patients who are very motivated to participate; although, a Frankel retainer can be very effective in changing bites & smiles and can be worn while the remaining permanent teeth erupt. This particular patient continued to wear her retainer at night time until all remaining permanent teeth were present, and her smile was nice enough that she did not have a second phase of treatment.

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