Malocclusion – what it means and what to do
March 10, 2020 11:48 amA malocclusion means ‘bad bite’ – in simple terms, teeth alignment isn’t right and jaws can’t bite together properly. Ideally, when your mouth is closed, the teeth in the upper jaw should overhang the lower teeth by around 25%. If that isn’t happening, the implications of leaving it uncorrected can be big. A misaligned bite can cause problems with eating, drinking, talking, sleeping, and just generally living life.So it’s important to understand more about your particular situation and the best solution.
- Overcrowding or spacing
One of the most common malocclusion types, this is where there are too many or too few teeth in the mouth. This can mean that the jaws can’t meet properly, and for children it can lead to further problems when adult teeth start to come through. Crowded teeth treatment might include creating extra space by expanding the arches, or by removing teeth. Orthodontic braces can help correct positioning, so all the teeth are then properly aligned.
- Upper protrusion
Also called an overjet, this is where the front teeth stick out more than they should. It’s also a very common condition in children, and is often caused by too much thumb-sucking or overuse of a pacifier – though it can also be because the lower jaw is simply too small. Tongue thrusting and tongue forward-posture are also culprits. This is where the tongue sits in the wrong place in the mouth, whether from bad habits or genetics. Over time it pushes against teeth and changes their position.
- Open bite
This is when the teeth at the back of the mouth meet normally, but the front teeth don’t – leaving a gap between them. This can also happen with the teeth at the side of the mouth, as well as the front. While this kind of bite is actually normal for kids moving from their baby to adult teeth, your dentist will be able to say if it needs fixing. It’s essential that a professional dentist helps guide you on both the problem and the solution. Other supportive forms of therapy might be needed to properly fix the problem for the long term. For example, some children might need speech or myofunctional therapy, which re-teaches the muscles in the mouth so they sit in the right place. Without this, the dental problems might come back again.
- Overbite
This is similar to an overjet, in that the upper jaw sits too far ahead of the lower jaw for teeth alignment. But, it also means that the ‘bite’ is deeper than it should be. This means your top teeth could damage the gums of your lower jaw.
- Crossbite and anterior crossbite
Both of these are a type of over bite, where the upper jaw sits behind the lower jaw, instead of in front of it as normal. An anterior cross bite is where the upper teeth at the top also sit behind the lower front teeth.
- Impacted or missing tooth, and diastema
In these types of malocclusion, either a tooth isn’t there, it’s in the wrong place, or there’s a big gap between one tooth and another. These can all be corrected by your dentist before further damage is done.
- Getting treatment
Every case of malocclusion is different, and for growing children, it becomes especially complicated. It’s always best to get a professional opinion from the best dental clinic in Dubai, such as Drs. Nicolas & Asp.Sometimes a malocclusion can correct itself as your child grows bigger, or there may be a condition that’s invisible now but could cause problems later if left untreated. So, if you think that you or your child are suffering from one of these conditions, see your dentist at Drs. Nicolas & Asp as soon as you can.
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