Considerations on the treatment of facial asymmetry [Considerazioni terapeutiche sulle asimmetrie facciali]

The term face asymmetry comprises a wide range of disorders including pure facial skeleton asymmetry or maxillo-mandibular dysmorphism and the various presentations of hemifacial microsomy. The authors describe the steps to follow in diagnosing and treating these patients. The initial clinical evaluation of the functional and aesthetic defect is very important; this helps in the choice of the protocol to follow in order to recreate a functional balance of the masticatory apparatus through orthodontics and surgery and simultaneously an initial improvement of the face aspect. At a later stage the remaining defects are corrected. The authors present two cases, a maxillo-mandibular dysmorphism and a hemifacial microsomy, as examples of the protocol of treatment used.