A common orthodontic condition, overbites occur when the top row of your teeth partially covers the bottom row, rather than resting perfectly on top of the bottom teeth. The severity of an overbite is determined by percentage. For instance, 100% overbite means your top teeth completely cover your bottom teeth. Most people have some degree of overbites, yet many do not need professional treatment.
For more serious overbites professional attention may be necessary, as overbites can pose a number of problems.
Effects of an Overbite
While overbites are common and can easily be corrected, more severe cases of overbites can cause a variety of effects in your mouth. Aside from affecting the appearance of your face, overbites can cause problems in jaw functioning and wear the enamel down on your teeth. As enamel protects your teeth from cavities as well as chipping or cracking, the wearing down of such can lead to tooth decay.
In severe overbite cases, your palate and the gums behind your front teeth can be cut by the bottom teeth. It is cases like these and the ones described above that professional treatment becomes necessary.
Causes of an Overbite
There are a few causes of overbites, all of which are mostly natural. With the exception of one cause, they all may be unavoidable. Here are some common causes of overbites:
Habit – As the only avoidable cause, overbites may be a result of sucking on your thumb from a young age or even the use of a pacifier. These types of overbites are easy to fix, as just the teeth need to be repositioned.
Genetics – Your lower jaw may be underdeveloped, which is inherited from your parents or grandparents.
Positioning – Your upper teeth simply stick out farther than your lower teeth. This is essentially chance of positioning, and can be easily fixed like that of an overbite caused by habit.
Fix Your Now!
The treatment for overbites depends on the severity of such. Many patients can have their overbite corrected simply by straightening their teeth with straighteners like Invisalign. Braces are another option, in which teeth can be straightened or the overbite is corrected with elastics attached to your brackets. In severe cases, surgery may be required to correct the position of your jaw.
Overbites should be corrected at an early age before the jaw develops. If you are interested in correcting your overbite, call us today to schedule and examination and find out what treatments best suits you. At Trapnell Orthodontics, we are more than happy to help!
