Having a bad bite isn’t just about a matter of appearance. When an orthodontist corrects a bite issue, he or she is essentially helping you prevent other health problems from taking place.
What Are Bad Bites
In medical terms, a bad bite is called malocclusion. It means that when you bite down, your upper and lower set of teeth don’t fit together. The most common bad bites include:
Crossbite. This happens when at least one of your upper teeth doesn’t align with their corresponding lower tooth or teeth.
Underbite. When you visit an othodontist, and your upper teeth are said to fit inside the arch of your lower teeth, that is what is called an underbite.
Open bite. When you bring your upper and lower back teeth together, and there’s a gap between the upper and lower teeth, it is referred to as an open bite.
Deep bite. You have a deep bite when your upper front teeth cover too much of your lower front teeth.
Protrusion. Protrusion occurs when your front teeth stick out too much. This happens when your upper jaw is too forward or if your lower jaw is too backward. You can also have a protrusion if your teeth grew in at a certain outward angle.
Spacing. This bad bite refers to having too much space between two teeth. It’s commonly attributed to undersized teeth, missing teeth, or oversized jaws.
Crowding. In contrary to spacing, this situation means that there’s insufficient space for your teeth.
What Are Its Consequences
If you have any of the aforementioned bad bites, it’s important to talk to a credible orthodontist. One of the main reasons is that a bad bite can affect your oral health when left untreated. Misaligned or crowded teeth are more challenging to clean, which can eventually cause more serious dental issues such as tooth decay. Gum diseases can also develop because of the presence of food particles, plaque, and bacteria.
A patient’s teeth with a bad bite are also more prone to becoming damaged or worn down. The teeth can be broken through excessive grinding (which is one bad habit that people with misaligned teeth tend to develop).
A misaligned jaw is also considered to bring pain not only to the mouth but also to the entire body. In worse cases, it can lead to a TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder. A painful condition that hinders you from chewing or speaking properly. Pain that comes from the oral region of the body can also develop into chronic migraines.
How Bad Bites Are Addressed
As having a bad bite is a common dental concern, dentists have developed several ways to address this issue. These include attaching a filling or a crown, using mouth guards, or undergoing a tooth re-shaping procedure.
The most common technique is to wear dental braces, typically recommended anywhere between 12 months to 36 months). The conventional ones are made of metal and are attached in front of the teeth. However, there are other options, including lingual braces (attached to the back of the teeth) and Invisalign (a treatment that uses resin-made invisible dental trays).
At Stang Family Orthodontics, we give you the best treatment to get that perfect smile back. If you need the best othodontist, contact us today!