Your “bite” refers to the way your upper and lower teeth fit together. In normal bites, your upper teeth fit just slightly over your lower teeth with the upper molars fitting into the grooves of your lower molars. An overbite occurs when your upper teeth significantly overlap the lower teeth. An underbite is the opposite. Misaligned bites affect how your smile looks, but do they affect your oral health?
How Your Bite Affects Your Oral Health
Even mild misalignments can cause oral health issues. If there’s any crowding, it’s trickier to brush and floss your teeth, which increases the risk for cavities and gum disease. When the crowding is more severe, your teeth can become damaged if they grind against each other. More serious misalignment can also affect your jaw’s appearance, how you speak, and even how you breathe.
How Do We Treat Misaligned Bites?
There are a handful of ways to treat misaligned bites. For serious issues, metal braces are still the best way to go. They can fix the most complex problems and restore your oral health and appearance. Metal braces are also much more comfortable than they used to be. If you want something more subtle, clear braces work just like metal braces, except they use translucent brackets. If your alignment issue isn’t too severe, Invisalign may be an option. These clear aligners are removable and barely noticeable.
Want faster treatment? We offer PROPEL Orthodontics VPro, which is an advanced technology that uses an FDA-cleared high-frequency vibration device. This is used for five minutes a day during your regular dental hygiene routine to speed up your teeth’s movement. It can be used with metal braces or clear aligners.
Address a Misaligned Bite at Stroope Orthodontics in Arkansas
Misaligned bites affect more than just how your smile looks. Crowded, overlapping teeth can increase your risk for cavities and gum disease, tooth grinding, and other health issues. At our offices in Farmington and Springdale, Dr. Stroope treats every kind of misaligned bite! If you have questions about our orthodontic services or want to book an appointment, please contact us today.
