Having an overbite is a common affliction, influencing the lives of people all over the world. This is the most common malocclusion, far more common than the underbite, its companion. This can cause a wide variety of problems if not treated as quickly as can be. It is recommended that children visit an orthodontist before the age of seven to identify any potential for problems as early as possible.

What Causes an Overbite?

Primarily, you are likely to have an overbite because your parents had one. These conditions are largely hereditary and carry easily through your genes. If you have one, your kids will likely have them too. This can display itself in two different ways, most commonly. The rarest way is that your upper jaw is overdeveloped. While it can happen, it usually does not. However, it is very common and more likely that your bottom jaw could be underdeveloped.

Habits that you have or have had in the past can lead to the development of such issues as well. For example, many children utilize bottles and pacifiers. This can lead to an overbite because it puts excessive pressure on the developing teeth repeatedly and frequently. If this is the case, it is a much easier fix. Instead of having to reform your jaw alignment, your teeth simply have to be aligned using braces. Then, poof! No more overbite.

In fact, it could not be your jaw at all. Sometimes your teeth simply grow at an angle, which is the cause of crooked teeth and crowding. This means that braces will be perfectly useful to get your mouth back in tip-top shape!

Damage an Overbite Can Cause

There are a wide range of dental and health problems an overbite can cause over time if you do not get it treated right away. Many patients worry about their physical appearance most. While an overbite can indeed cause an altered physical appearance, like a protruding upper jaw or teeth, a short round face, or buck teeth. However, there is more to it than that.

For starters, an overbite can cause chronic jaw pain or jaw damage. Your temporomandibular joint, or the joint that connects your bottom jaw to the top, can become damaged over time, and you could develop a TMJ disorder. This is more difficult to manage and may require surgery to resolve.

Overbites can also affect your tooth and gum health. Misaligned jaws lead to teeth hitting each other and resting in places that they aren’t mean to, leading to damage from misuse. You can chip or crack your teeth but also lost enamel over time. Depending on where the teeth settle and strike, you could sustain chronic gum damage as well. This can lead to bone loss and gum disease in a very small window of time.

Rarer Side Effects of an Overbite

There are several other problems that you may have to suffer through as well as a result of your overbite. You may have a slight (or severe) speech impediment that can affect how people perceive you and first impressions. This, along with your physical appearance, can lead to a lowered self-esteem, confidence, and self-image. It can be a huge detriment to your daily life.

Finally, an overbite can lead to sleep apnea. Because your bottom jaw lies behind your top, it makes your airways smaller. This can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest as you may regularly struggle to breathe. There are treatment methods for this, however, from a mouthpiece to a comprehensive jaw surgery that moves your lower jaw away from your airways.

Treatment Options for an Overbite

There are two different kinds of overbite, dental and skeletal. It is essential to know which is which at the time that you are determining a treatment plan. If you have a dental overbite, more than likely you will be just fine going through with an orthodontic procedure, such as braces. However, skeletal overbites are not so easily repaired as your bones have already fused into place properly for the rest of your life. These generally need to be repaired with a corrective jaw surgery.

These surgeries shift your lower jaws up to meet your upper jaws. With some overbites, we can use elastics to gently pull the jaw forward. These cases are generally much less severe. However, if you do have a larger overbite, there is still the possibility of a non-surgical answer. This type of treatment would utilize springs in your mouth that would exert a constant and consistent force that gradually pulls your jaw forward in much the same way as the elastics. The difference is the springs work harder and quicker.

If you have a malocclusion and are interested different treatment methods, call Mark Levy, DDS at (613) 777-7350. He can help fix any problems with your overbite.