DR. WILLIAM HANG has been studying or practicing dentistry and/or orthodontics for over 40 years. After graduating number one in the class of 1970 at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, he practiced general dentistry in the U.S. Air Force for two years. Afterward, he completed the orthodontic residency program at the University of Minnesota, received an MSD degree in orthodontics, and then taught orthodontics at the University of Minnesota for a year.

In 1975, Dr. Hang moved to Vermont and established a private practice in orthodontics. For the next six years he practiced traditional orthodontics, using headgears and removing permanent teeth. Dissatisfied with the post-treatment facial appearance of his patients, he observed that they often finished with weak chins, long faces, thin and recessed lips, gummy smiles and apparently large noses. In lieu of leaving the field of orthodontics entirely, Dr. Hang embarked on a long, continuing education odyssey. Since 1981, he has traveled to 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries in his quest to produce more balanced faces.

In the process, Dr. Hang realized he needed to stop removing permanent teeth and using headgears to push upper teeth back (since upper teeth rarely protrude relative to the rest of the face). He also understood the need to treat children far earlier than the traditional age of 12 or 13, when all the permanent teeth have erupted into the mouth. Additionally, he learned that “impacted cuspids” (eyeteeth that stay in the roof of the mouth and then need to be orthodontically brought into place) can usually be prevented in those patients who are seen early enough.

After making those treatment changes, Dr. Hang’s practice flourished as people responded favorably to the new results he achieved. Since moving his practice to Westlake Village, California, in 1996, Dr. Hang’s Face Focused Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics® attracts patients from Southern California, other states, and outside the country.

Dr. Hang emphasizes early recognition and treatment of orthodontic problems, and stresses that any child whose lips are apart at rest will likely develop problems. Research conducted more than 50 years ago confirmed that crooked teeth and poor jaw growth are environmentally determined. Ultimately, it is poor oral posture (improper jaw, tongue, lip, and cheek posture) that causes poor facial balance and crooked teeth. Reduced nasal breathing due to allergies or an airway obstruction (large tonsils and/or adenoids or nasal obstructions) frequently produces poor oral posture. Consequently, Dr. Hang’s practice is heavily focused on correcting such problems (the causes) and not just straightening teeth (the symptom). He has not used any headgears since 1982, and does not remove bicuspid teeth for orthodontic purposes.

For at-home parental use, Dr. Hang has developed a convenient screening tool to check the balance of a child’s face even before most orthodontic problems become evident. A simple measurement (even before any permanent teeth are in the mouth) can determine if a consultation is needed. The Interactive FINDER (Facial INDex of Esthetic Relations) measurement tool is available from this website. (Click here to download your own copy.) An examination prior to the eruption of any permanent teeth is highly recommended to achieve the best results.

Today, Dr. Hang also treats many adult patients who are using orthodontics to have their mouths and smiles restored. For some adults who have had teeth removed as part of previous orthodontic treatment, the spaces are actually reopened and the teeth replaced. Dr. Hang has developed a network of general dentists and other specialists with whom he can work on complex adult restoration cases.

Another segment of his adult practice involves patients who come to him to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A statistically life-shortening condition, OSA is becoming the most common chronic disease in all industrialized countries, with 95% of OSA sufferers being undiagnosed. Improving the airway through orthodontics or orthodontics and surgery can improve someone’s quality and quantity of life.