You may not realize it when you first visit us, but orthodontists cover a lot of ground. There’s a lot more to what we do than making smiles look nice. At Kottemann Orthodontics, we make a point of addressing any and all issues you have. Let’s discuss how orthodontists treat overbites and underbites.
Causes of Overbites and Underbites
The good and bad news is that patients don’t always have a hand in overbites and underbites happening. They’re primarily developmental or genetic, which makes them mostly involuntary. Here are some of the visual and functional factors of these two common bite problems:
- Overbites: An overbite is present when the upper teeth severely overlap the lower front teeth when the mouth is shut.
- Overbites might make a person’s face look short or round. In severe cases, the upper teeth will entirely cover the lower teeth when a patient bites down all the way.
- Patients often struggle with biting and chewing certain foods and experience an increased risk of damaging their front teeth due to accidental biting.
- Underbites: This is the opposite of an overbite: When the lower front teeth protrude past the upper front teeth.
- The lower jawline may noticeably protrude, ranging from mild to severe.
- This can lead to difficulties with speech and chewing, jaw discomfort, and increased wear on certain teeth.
Potential Consequences
Ideally, we like to address these conditions early on in a patient’s life—but that’s not always possible. For children and adults, we want to encourage you to come into Kottemann Orthodontics for a consultation if you’re experiencing either of these bite issues. The consequences of ignoring them can be drastic, especially as time passes:
- Jaw Pain and TMJ Disorders: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can be painful and make oral functions challenging. Bite misalignment places repetitive strain on the jaw, which can cause discomfort.
- Hygienic Troubles: Just like crooked teeth, misaligned bites create some serious obstacles when it comes to dental hygiene. Figuring out how to brush and floss properly around these conditions, especially in severe cases, can feel next to impossible at times.
- Tooth Trauma: We don’t want anyone to experience a traumatic injury to their mouths, but accidents do happen. With the way your jaw is set in an overbite or an underbite, you can be uniquely vulnerable in this scenario to severe damage.
- Gum Recession and Bone Loss: Bad overbites might forcibly press the lower teeth into the roof of the mouth, causing gum tissue damage or bone deterioration.
- Potential Surgery: Ultimately, delaying treatment for years and years can warrant the need for corrective surgery.
Treating Overbites and Underbites
How exactly do our amazing doctors approach overbites and underbites in our practice? The precise treatment plan will depend on the individual, as it always does. One of the biggest factors for this particular issue is age, and we’ll explain why:
- Early Intervention: Starting around age seven is absolutely the ideal time to address a misaligned bite. This is because a child’s jaws are anatomically easier to guide and correct with orthodontic appliances, as opposed to that of an adolescent or adult.
- Habit Correction in Children: Our team also collaborates with kids and parents to address habits like thumb-sucking or tongue thrusting, as often directly impact the bite. As we said, bones and tissues are more malleable.
- Herbst Appliance: For overbites, we might use what’s called a Herbst appliance, or headgear, to help guide jaw growth in children. These are placed on the back molars on the upper and lower jaws, like a hinge of sorts.
- Palate Expander: We can use a palate expander or reverse pull headgear to counter underbites in children as well, allowing us to manually widen the palate and correct the bite.
- Braces: Traditional braces can be a surprisingly dynamic treatment option. We can use them with additional components like rubber bands to target specific issues, or in conjunction with other appliances over a broader treatment plan.
- Invisalign: We can primarily use or integrate clear aligners in treating bite issues, but typically only for mild or moderate cases.
- Tooth Reshaping, Extraction, or Surgery: In some cases, our doctors may recommend removing or reshaping specific teeth that are interfering with proper alignment. If orthognathic surgery becomes a consideration, we will have an in-depth discussion and carefully review all available options with you and your family.
Making Strides
In reality, you have to know what’s wrong with something to be able to consider fixing it. We hope we’ve answered some of the questions you might have had about overbites and underbites—and have assured you that our team is more than capable of handling them! Stop by soon in Chaska, Maple Grove, Orono, or Plymouth for an appointment.