Bite disorders

Bite disorders

What it is?

When you clench your teeth, they should close tightly. A correct bite is defined as a jaw position in which the upper teeth slightly overlap the lower teeth. However, very few people can boast of a correct bite. According to dental statistics, only 10% of the world's population “bite properly.”

Malocclusion occurs:

1. Distal - overdeveloped upper jaw or underdeveloped lower jaw;

2. Mesial - the lower jaw is pushed forward;

3. Deep - the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth by more than half their length;

4. Open - most of the teeth in the upper and lower jaws do not meet;

5. Crossed - unilateral underdevelopment of the upper or lower dentition;

6. Dystopia (for example, fangs) - teeth are out of place in the dentition (above, below or to the side).

Cause

The main reason is genetics; malocclusion is passed on from parents to children. The second reason is chronic diseases suffered in childhood (rhinitis, adenoids), in which the child gets used to breathing not through the nose, but through the mouth. If the mouth is constantly open, the lower jaw does not receive the necessary uniform pressure from the tongue and cheeks, and there is a delay in the development of the lower jaw.

The development of malocclusion is often associated with bad habits in children - sucking fingers, tongue, pens and prolonged use of a pacifier (more than 1-1.5 years). Early removal of baby teeth, discrepancy between the size of teeth (large) and jaw, as well as disruption of the production of thyroid hormones may play a role.

Why is it dangerous?

Paradoxically, malocclusion often causes not only impaired diction, but also headaches, ear, nose and throat diseases, stomach diseases, etc.

What's happening?

If the teeth do not fit properly or there is no contact between them, food is not chewed well and is not processed properly. This leads to various diseases of the internal organs.

Diagnostics

If you suspect that you have an incorrect bite, consult an orthodontist. It is never too late to treat malocclusions; this can be done as long as you still have teeth in your mouth. However, it must be remembered that the sooner treatment is started, the better.

The doctor will examine the patient’s teeth and order a survey x-ray of the teeth of both jaws. And on the same day you can begin correcting the malocclusion.

Treatment

The teeth are not permanently attached to the jaw; they can be moved. Careful and slow. For this purpose, there are various devices, removable and non-removable.

Removable devices include all kinds of plates, aligners, etc., and non-removable braces. Braces are metal or ceramic plates that are attached to the teeth (outside or inside). They are connected by a special metal wire, which exerts uniform pressure on the teeth and returns them to the correct position.

Braces allow you to move your teeth, plates only help keep them in a certain position. The latest preventive devices - trainers allow you to begin early treatment of growing children, eliminate myofunctional disorders, bad habits, promote teeth alignment at the stage of teething and improve facial features. This is the only device that does not require round-the-clock wearing; the child wears it only at night and does not experience a number of complexes due to violations of diction, taste, and appearance.