To achieve excellent oral health, your upper and lower jaws need to be evenly met. This allows a person to carry out daily activities like eating and swallowing with ease, avoiding serious health risks to their teeth, mouth, and jaw. A malocclusion refers to a poor bite where the upper and lower teeth do not align properly. In the United States, approximately two-thirds of the population has a clinically meaningful malocclusion, requiring medical treatment. If you fall under this category, we’ll discuss all you need to know about an overbite/underbite treatment.
Overbite/Underbite Treatment by Professional Dentists
Also known as a deep bite or buck teeth, an overbite is a malocclusion where the upper front teeth overlap the lower teeth. Naturally, most populations share this characteristic of having overlapped top teeth, with only a small percentage of people having a perfect bite. This means just because your upper teeth extend over your lower teeth, it doesn’t always mean you have an overbite. You need not be concerned if your overlap is less than three millimeters. On the other hand, an underbite refers to when the lower front teeth protrude beyond the upper teeth, which causes a misaligned bite. This can lead to several serious oral health issues
It’s a common misconception to think that orthodontic treatment is simply for aesthetic purposes. Because of the potential risks associated with malocclusion, like tooth decay, cavities, gum disease, and pain in the face and jaws, among plenty more, people seek various types of treatment to achieve an aligned bite. Orthodontists recommend braces, surgery, or splint therapy for overbites. When it comes to underbites, orthodontists recommend a reverse-pull face mask, tooth extraction, upper jaw expander, surgery, or braces.
Benefits of Professional Overbite/Underbite Treatment
Having an overbite or underbite can be frustrating, but these can be corrected regardless of your age or the severity of your condition. Fixing an overbite or underbite may simply be a matter of wanting to improve the appearance of your smile. At the same time, it can prevent severe dental issues in the future when you’re able to take in better nutrition. Getting orthodontic treatment will also help to improve your speaking ability and reduce pain. It’s always better to tackle the problem head-on as soon as possible. Neglect can make the overbite or underbite harder to fix in the future, creating additional issues for your gums and teeth. Moreover, letting these issues linger can result in you requiring dental hardware, crowns, or caps installed. There are emotional, mental, and physical side effects that come from having an underbite. This is why it is so important for affected individuals to get treated as soon as possible.
Why Choose The Teledentists' Dental Services for Your Oral Health Concerns?
Everyone deserves to love their smile. For most of us, that perfectly aligned smile doesn’t come naturally. At The TeleDentists, we are dedicated to ensuring your oral health needs are met as efficiently as possible.
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