We experience a whole array of different bite problems that our orthodontic treatments help fix once and for all!
You or your child’s bite is absolutely critical in terms of oral health, and in orthodontics a bite refers to the way in which a patient’s lower and upper teeth come together. A malocclusion is an industry terms that generally refers to any type of improper meeting of a patient’s teeth, or several other types of orthodontic issues.
Everyone comes into our offices with unique bite problems, that’s simply a testament to our collective individuality, but the following 7 bite problems are considered to be the most common within children and adult orthodontic patients:
Crossbite
A crossbite occurs when a patient’s upper teeth fit inside their lower teeth, and this can typically be caused by teeth or jawbone misalignment. A crossbite can affect just one tooth, or larger groups of teeth, and there can be some rather serious consequences if this malocclusion isn’t properly treated.
Underbite
An underbite occurs when a patient’s lower jaw and teeth sit in front of the upper jaw. Some of the potential consequences of not correcting this type of malocclusion are the patient having a bull dog-like appearance, experiencing detrimental tooth wearing, as well as a lot of stress on their jaw joints.
Underbites are somewhat more common than most people would think, and when this type of bite problem occurs within children it may elicit the necessity for a two-phase treatment.
Open Bite
There are two main types of an open bite malocclusion, including anterior and posterior open bites.
An anterior open bite occurs when a patient’s back teeth are together, but their upper and lower front teeth are not overlapped and have large gaps between teeth. This can sometimes be the result of excessive sucking or other childhood development causes.
A posterior open bite occurs when a patient’s front teeth meet properly, but their back teeth don’t overlap properly. Some of the possible consequences if an open bite is left untreated are potential speech problems, swallowing problems and an individual’s tongue pushing through their teeth when swallowing.
Deep Bite
A deep bite occurs when a patient’s upper front teeth cover up their bottom front teeth too much, when their bite is closed. This is a rather common issue for many orthodontic patients that’s often combined with other types of malocclusions.
Some of the possible consequences of not properly treating a deep bite include a patient’s upper teeth biting into lower gums on a regular basis, their lower teeth frequently biting into the roof of their mouth, as well as enamel wearing and potential gum disease.
Crowding
Crowding is by far one of the most common types of malocclusions within the orthodontic field, and it occurs when a patient doesn’t have sufficient spacing for their teeth to develop correctly. Some causes of crowding include a patient simply having a few big teeth, or inadequate spacing within the jaw.
Crowding results in a patient’s teeth rotating, being overlapped or becoming staggered or crooked in appearance. Some of the consequences of not having crowding properly treated include a patient having difficulty cleaning their teeth, potentially experiencing cavities in between their teeth, and even gum disease.
Spacing
Spacing occurs when a patient has too much space in between their teeth, leading to the appearance of noticeable gaps. This malocclusion can be the result of undersized teeth, missing teeth, oversized jaws, or any type of combination between these conditions.
Some issues that people experience when they don’t have spacing properly treated include cavities, food getting stuck in their open areas, and potential gum disease.
Protrusion
A protrusion occurs when a patient’s front teeth noticeably stick out, and this malocclusion has been nicknamed buck teeth. This results in a patient’s teeth appearing somewhat protrusive because their upper jaw is misaligned too far forward, their lower jaw is misaligned too far back, their teeth have grown at protrusive angles, or any type of combination between these conditions. It’s also common for patients experiencing protrusion to also be experiencing a deep bite.
Some of the potential consequences associated with not properly treating a protrusion include:
- Difficulty to comfortably close the lips and mouth
- The individual’s upper teeth being prone to accidents
- Oral tissue more easily becoming dried out
- Speech problems
- Tooth decay
- Long, narrow facial construction
Reach Out To Dr. Karpac And Our Expert Team For More Information About Correcting Common Bite Problems!
The goal of every patient’s orthodontic treatment is to ensure that they have a healthy bite and a good-looking smile. This means that properly aligning a patient’s jaws and teeth are equally important in terms of providing the lifelong results all orthodontic patients truly deserve!
For more information about common bite problems and their subsequent orthodontic treatment processes, reach out to us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) today to speak with one of our specialists about scheduling you or your child’s initial consultation!
You can also utilize our virtual appointment option within our website and upload pictures so Dr. Karpac can assess you or your child’s bite online!