Orthodontics to Correct Overbite

An overbite is among the most prevalent and recognizable orthodontic issues that need orthodontic treatment. Besides the obvious poor aesthetics that arise because of the overbite, other oral health and psychological issues can stem from having this orthodontic issue.

For this reason, you might need to seek orthodontics in Etobicoke, ON, to ensure that you deal with the overbite sooner rather than later. The treatment works better if you come to our visit us sooner.

The beauty of living in our era is that you have various options to help resolve this issue. The solutions range from dental braces to jaw surgery. However, the treatment option will depend on the severity of your overbite and its cause.

But before we see how an overbite can be corrected, let’s get some definitions out of the way.

What’s an Overbite?

Most people would describe an overbite as “buck teeth.” However, this doesn’t sound very polite, so people with an overbite might not find the term quite amusing.

In a nutshell, an overbite describes a type of malocclusion where the teeth in the upper jaw overlap the lower teeth. Then, there’s another term that you might have come across before is overjet. At times, people might use an overbite and overjet interchangeably. But these two conditions aren’t the same.

An overjet describes a scenario where the teeth in the upper jaw protrude past the bottom teeth at a certain angle. An overjet is a term used to describe the distance the top teeth are sitting ahead of the lower teeth.

Overbites can also be classified depending on what part of the mouth is affected. For instance, a dental overbite occurs when your teeth are in the wrong position. Then, the skeletal overbite occurs when your jaw is the cause of the overbite.

What’s more, overbites can be further classified into three categories. The first one is known as neutrocclusion. This is the most common type, in which the upper overlap the lower teeth, but there is a normal bite. You will have other issues accompanying the overbite, such as overcrowding teeth and gaps.

The second category is distocclusion, where the upper teeth plus the jaw severely overlap the lower teeth. This results in what is commonly referred to as “buck teeth.”

The last category is mesiocclusion. In this case, the lower front teeth overlap the upper front teeth. This type of malocclusion can occur when your upper jaw is shorter than the lower jaw or when, the lower jaw is larger than the upper jaw.

What Causes an Overbite?

It is unclear why one person would have an overbite while another doesn’t. People are sometimes born with malformed jaws that might not develop evenly. Others can be born with a jaw too small for the teeth or too large, causing spaces or overcrowding and an overbite. In other words, genetics play a crucial role.

On the other hand, some people will develop an overbite either because they suck their thumb or fingers often past five years. Others might develop an overbite because of tongue thrusting or pacifier use.

Correcting an Overbite

Kids who have an overbite that is caught early, their cases are easily treated because their jaws are still developing. Overbite correction in kids will not require extensive work, and they would benefit from using teeth braces.

Adults might experience some difficulty while correcting an overbite using dental braces since the jaws are fully developed. But it doesn’t mean that using braces will not work. It will, but it might not be the same as a kid whose jaw hasn’t yet developed.

If the overbite is skeletal, in that the protrusion of the jaw causes the overbite, then surgery may be the best course of action. Even though you use metal braces, you might not get the desired results. The surgery aims to reposition the jaw. This option is effective in adults because their jaws are fully developed and aren’t as flexible as kids’ jaws.

The jaws could not be large enough to hold all the teeth in some cases. So, the mouth becomes overcrowded, and teeth become severely misaligned. In this case, extraction becomes a good option to create space. Then, braces will be used after the extraction to move the teeth into their new positions.

Contact us at Regency Dental Care to schedule an appointment if you need to get your overbite fixed.