Most people with misaligned teeth do not understand the cause of their condition. However, all patients with uneven teeth appreciate the need to see an orthodontist rectify the misalignment and shape of their teeth to achieve a perfect smile. The effect of malocclusion is not only tied to aesthetics. Still, it can also cause dental malfunction, and it is why specialists at Freedom Orthodontics perform surgical orthodontics in Cedar Park to help improve dental appearance.
What is the bite?
The position of the teeth and jaw when a person's mouth is closed is the bite. The proper dental position consists of close contact of the antagonist's teeth surfaces to promote chewing. For regular teeth, the overlap difference between incisors in the upper jaw and lower ones should be up to 1/3.
What are the two forms of an incorrect bite?
The two reasons you may have malocclusion may be of two forms:
Dental malocclusion is due to inappropriate teeth arrangement, which can happen because of abnormal sizing or sometimes missing teeth or deficiency in the oral cavity where teeth form, known as the dentoalveolar process. Incorrect physiological dental sizing or dislocation of the teeth causes improper positioning of oral organs causing wrong positioning when the mouth is closed.
These abnormalities can happen due to improper jaw size causing the bite to push forward or backward, retrognathia:
- Macrognathia is when there is increased jaw size
- Micrognathia is when the jaw size is smaller
Skeletal complications are much harder to fix than any other dental abnormality, with severe cases requiring surgical intervention as the best treatment. However, most patients with malocclusions have both skeletal and dental abnormalities, with one form resulting from the other. For example, dental abnormalities may cause dental crookedness, ultimately fixing the bite in an abnormal skeletal structure.
What might be the cause of your misaligned teeth?
Many factors influence a person's risk of developing malocclusion. However, most times, the causes are due to a combination of factors. Some of the reasons you might have misalignment include:
- Genetic predisposition - This is the primary cause of most medical conditions. For dental malocclusion, having a family history of dentoalveolar anomalies may cause the transmission of the disease from parents.
- Repeated oral breathing: Patients with respiratory complications due to specific health issues like rhinitis or sinusitis experience difficulties breathing through the nose, forcing them to use their mouth. Breathing orally for an extended period causes tension to oral organs causing them to adopt a non-physiological position that presents as malocclusion.
- Bad dental habits like sucking on a finger or a pacifier for long may interfere with the adequate growth of teeth, bones, and the spine's position, causing incorrect dental posture.
- Calcium deficiency during fetal development will impair dental bone growth.
- Inappropriate dental prosthetics may strain the teeth, causing them to position abnormally.
- Specific dental issues like missing teeth can lead to an improper bite.
Dental malocclusions may affect your self-esteem, and it is why treatment is paramount to restore an appealing jaw position. To learn more about the treatments that might work for you, contact Freedom Orthodontics to schedule an appointment for a dental review to influence the treatment that will help you get a beautiful smile.
