What Case of Malocclusion Do You Have?

Misaligned teeth or Malocclusions are one of the most common teeth problems out there. This can be hereditary or acquired, such as being subjected to surgery, habits, or brought about by dental diseases.  But because malocclusions are usually symptomless it is hard to determine whether you have one.

Dental routine examinations can easily determine if a person has malocclusion. First, the dentist will make a primary check on the patient’s occlusion by having him execute a normal bite. You can do this procedure by yourself, but if there’s an abnormality in the bite, like if 50% of the central incisors to the canine are covered by the upper teeth, then a profound inspection will have to be made by professionals.

Orthodontic specializes in these cases; it is the branch of dentistry that manages the growth and correction of a patient’s dental and facial structures. Orthodontists can easily repair over bites; the simplest treatment would be using teeth braces. This can apply a gentle force to slowly change your jaw and teeth alignment, straightening them over time.

We should know that malocclusions differ in cases, depending on which teeth overshadow which part. The same goes on the process of correcting a patient’s misalignment. Treatment will vary depending on what type of malocclusion a patient is diagnosed with. For example, if the cause of your malocclusion is overcrowding then one or more teeth may be extracted or surgically removed, paving the way for the rest of your teeth to resume to their proper position, fixing your teeth’s misalignment.

So here are some cases of malocclusions we should be aware of:

Overbite

This is what professionals call an “overjet”. This occurs when the upper teeth bites over the lower teeth in a point where it almost cover the teeth’s incisors or lower teeth. The most drastic case of overbite would be retrognathism, where the upper jaw and teeth severely overlaps with the bottom jaw and teeth. Study finds that people with overbites are more prone to tooth decay, gingivitis and mouth ulcers.

Underbite

The literal, polar opposite of an overbite would be the underbite or prognathism. This is when the lower teeth stick out more than the upper teeth. In most cases, this happens due to jaw growth problems, such as undergrowth of the upper jaw or overgrowth of the lower jaw, or both. Another factor would be some missing upper teeth, depending on which part is missing. Missing one or two upper teeth can alter or confuse the function and position of each upper tooth. People with underbite cases usually complain of jaw pain and mouth joint problems.

Open Bite

We don’t know if it’s precise to call this a “bite” as this case occurs when the opposing teeth are unable to bring about physical contact that creates a proper bite. Usually, open bites are caused by abnormalities in genetic structure or excessive thumb-sucking (that is also a minor case of mental disorder). An open bite can cause pain when chewing, speech impairment, and can also lead to graver dental disease, such as thermo-mandibular joint disorder (TMJ).

Crossbite

This is a misalignment in the bite of the teeth, where your upper crown and lower incisors doesn’t match up. This can occur if the jaws are both misaligned. Unlike the other irregular overbites, crossbites’ misalignment exists on both front and sides of your mouth, causing a shift on your face and jaw’s visual feature. Crossbites can cause gum disease, wear of the teeth and bone loss.

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