Misaligned bites: causes and prevention

Overbites, underbites, crowded teeth or crossbites, the most frequent varieties of misaligned bites are a consequence of a number of reasons. Some are inherited and some are results of different factors that have an influence on the position of teeth, starting from the early childhood and continuing throughout one’s lifetime. Since the statistics say that only around 40 percent of population does not have problems with misaligned teeth, dealing with this problem is a significant health issue. For that reason, here is an overview of the most common causes of misaligned bites and several different ways this can be prevented, if the reaction to causes is timely and adequate.

Overbite

Basically this is a condition where the lower jaw is too far behind the upper jaw. Excessive protrusion of the upper jaw results in over biting when jaws are closed.

Underbite

The situation where the lower jaw is further in front of the upper one, medically known as a reverse overjet is the result of either the over growth of the lower jaw compared to the upper jaw, or under development of the upper jaw.

Crowded teeth

Quite simply, this happens when there is not enough space for your teeth in your mouth. This could happen due to smaller upper or lower jaw, bigger teeth or having extra teeth compared to standard number. This is usually inherited and typically if a child has crowded teeth the same condition will occur when he or she grows up.

Crossbite

This is a type of dental misalignment where teeth have more lingual or buccal position, that is, they are positioned closer to the cheek or the tongue. This can include single teeth or group of teeth and in latter case it usually goes for both jaws in parallel.

Causes

Causes of misalignement bites can be viewed as universal for all types of misaligment. When it comes to young children, the usual causes are tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, use of soother beyond age of three and prolonged use of a bubble. When it comes to older children and adults, the most frequent causes are early loss of baby teeth, as well as adult ones, gum disease, improper dental restorations, oral cavity tumors and severe injuries. Apart from aforementioned, inherited misalignment is very often.

Prevention

Prompt reactions and taking care of your teeth is the only method of preventing some of the causes. Regular self examination and especially dental visits are the only way to react timely, and that is exactly what is required for the prevention to be successful. Lost teeth must be immediately replaced, gum disease treated, as well as any kind of injury or oral disease. There are various orthodontic solutions recommended by Sydney specialist. These solutions usually include, but are not limited to, different types of braces such as metal braces, lingual braces, and invisalign. However, all solutions are individualized, and, as it was said before, regular visits are the only way to at least somehow prevent the possible consequences of misalignment. This goes for inherited misalignement, as well. Naturally, there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate it.

Taking care of your teeth is something that needs to be practiced from the very early age. That is the only manner of keeping them healthy, as well as preventing further complications, as much as possible. Of course, the same is true the entire lifetime.