Teeth are what makes smiles so appealing. Sometimes, however, they disappoint by growing in a manner that they are not well aligned or they are crooked. In such cases, they need to be fixed. Orthodontists are usually able to fix the following problems;
Crowding
This is where the teeth are not spaced normally and press against each other due to limited space. This problem is common in kids and worsens as they grow.
One problem that can result from crowded teeth is the formation of plaque. This happens when the teeth crowd so that some parts of teeth are impossible to clean and the food particles accumulate. Plaque can cause bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Sometimes crowding can lead to malformed or bent teeth. Orthodontists treat crowding by creating space. This can be done by extracting a tooth or expanding the arches. After this braces are applied to align the teeth. Braces are effective for both kids and adults.
Overbite
It is where teeth overlap. It is usually evidenced by the upper front teeth sticking out farther than the lower front teeth. There are some health implications of overbite, both psychological and physical including;
- Low self-esteem
- Increased chances of trauma and fracture to the front teeth
The causes of overbite can be dental or skeletal. If the overbite is a result of skeletal problems, a jaw surgery is needed. However, if the overbite is dental, which is usually milder, it can be corrected by orthodontic braces.
Crossbite
Is where a tooth is closer to the cheek or the tongue than its respective lower tooth. This causes a misaligned bite. It commonly occurs in young children when their adult teeth start to grow before the baby teeth have fallen out. It can also be caused if one jaw is smaller than it should be. A crossbite usually leads to damage of the teeth due to wear from the abnormal pressure teeth apply to each other while chewing. They can be treated using an expander and sometimes a brace is used after the expander has done its job.
Underbite
This is the opposite of the overbite, the upper front teeth are behind the lower front teeth. It can be corrected using an expander or reverse-pull face mask. If the cause is the jaw, corrective jaw surgery needs to be done.
Open bite
This is usually when some of the lower teeth and upper teeth do not touch when the mouth is closed. Some open bites among children self-correct, but to sure see your orthodontist so that the next course of action is determined.
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