Bartow
Here are some of the most common orthodontic conditions that can be corrected with orthodontic treatment by an orthodontic specialist.
Underbite:
Underbite refers to a condition in which the upper teeth are behind the lower teeth when the jaw is closed. This causes the lower jaw to be more pronounced.
While genetics play a role, an Underbite can be caused if children have prolonged pacifier use, suck their thumbs, have bad chewing habits, or have allergy problems causing them to breathe through their mouth. If the Underbite is not corrected early, it can cause problems in chewing, headaches, and temporomandibular joint syndrome, which refers to an arthritis of the joint connecting the lower jaw with the rest of the head.
Overbite:
An overbite occurs when the upper front teeth extend too far out over the lower front teeth. Overbite accounts for around 70% of the dental disorders in children and is the most common disorder.
This condition can be linked to genetics, and can be negatively impacted by pacifier use, thumb sucking, mouth breathing and tongue positioning while children are very young. If the overbite is not treated, it can cause problems while chewing, headaches, sleep apnea, slurred speech, and temporomandibular joint syndrome.
Crossbite:
Crossbite refers to a condition where one or more of the upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth. The teeth may be angled toward the cheek or toward the tongue and the crossbite can be on just one or both sides of the jaw.
Crossbites can occur by chance (teeth erupt taking the path of least resistance), delayed loss of baby teeth, early loss of baby teeth, or the actual size of permanent teeth. If it is not treated, crossbite can cause wear on the teeth, gum disease, bad chewing habits, and force the jaws to develop asymmetrically.
Open bite:
Open bite occurs when the upper and lower teeth do not overlap when the jaws are closed. Open bite may be skeletal, but can also be caused by a child sucking on their lower lip, sucking their thumb, tongue thrusting, and having tongue forward posture where the tongue is always too far forward and pushes against the teeth.
Sometimes open bites can be self-corrected by breaking the habit that caused it, but correction usually requires orthodontic treatment. If untreated, open bite can cause wearing on the teeth, painful chewing, speech impairment, and it can be difficult to keep food and liquid from escaping through the gap between the lower and upper teeth while eating and drinking.
Crowding:
Crowding refers to the condition in which the teeth have no room to erupt from the gums. When treated by an orthodontist, crowding can be corrected, sometimes even without removing teeth. Our team takes pride in RARELY removing teeth for orthodontic treatment!
If you or your child notice anything like these, schedule a FREE consultation with us at EA Smiles to start your journey to a happy, healthy smile. We promise to deliver a WOW experience!