Do you know that your dental structure is related your general health? When your teeth and jaws are not properly aligned, it may affect your facial appearance, speech, and even breathing. Over the time, teeth may become crooked, worn down, or protrude. Which is why, Downtown Dentist Edmonton emphasize that on solving bite problems or in simple terms, misalignment of teeth and jaws and fixing them is necessary.
The bite problems or misalignment of teeth and jaws are medically known as malocclusions. There are three major types of malocclusions – overbite, underbite, and crossbite. Let’s understand all three of them in a better way.
Overbite
Overbite is when the upper front teeth extend outwards overlapping the lower front teeth. Overjet is also a type of overbite where the horizontal distance between the upper and lower front teeth is more. Overbite can be due to genetics, poor oral hygiene, or excessive use of pacifiers or thumb-sucking in the early years. This type of malocclusion lead to issues such as gum irritation and can cause the lower teeth to wear.
Underbite
Underbite is when the lower teeth extend outwards, causing the lower front teeth to sit in front of the upper front teeth. Underbite can occur when the bone in the upper jaw doesn’t develop enough or the bone in the lower jaw develop too much. It can also occur if a person is missing some of their upper teeth. This type of malocclusion can cause uneven wear of the teeth and pain in the jaw and joints of the mouth.
Crossbite
Crossbite is when the upper teeth are directed towards the tongue and sit inside the lower teeth. Commonly, there are two types of crossbites – anterior crossbites and posterior crossbites.
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Anterior is when the visible upper teeth in the front sit inside the lower teeth while biting, something similar to an underbite.
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Posterior crossbites occur when the upper wisdom teeth sit inside the lower wisdom teeth at the back of your mouth.
If not treated, this malocclusion can cause problems such as tooth decay, gum disease and stress on the jaw muscles, which leads to headaches and chronic jaw, neck, shoulder and back pain.
If you are experiencing any of these misalignment problems, meet your local Downtown Dentist Edmonton today. Even if you aren’t facing any of these problems but want to know more about all three types of malocclusions, our dentists will guide you.
