How to Correct Deep Bite With Braces
It is often said that your smile is your greatest asset, smiling boosts your confidence, which pays dividends in spades. Studies also show that smiling helps reduce your blood pressure and lowers your risk of heart disease.
Unfortunately, many people do not feel their best due to deep bite, which changes the appearance of their teeth. This article will be looking at what deep bite is and how to rectify it.
What Is A Deep Bite?
Deep bite also commonly referred to as overbite occurs when the front end of the upper teeth excessively overlaps with the lower front teeth when the mouth is closed. Typically, the result of a deep bite is the lower front teeth digging into the gum behind the upper front teeth.
What Causes Deep Bite?
The most common cause of deep bite is having a smaller lower jaw when compared to the upper jaw. The result is the teeth of the upper jaw protrude outward resulting in the teeth of the lower jaw growing until they get to the roof of the mouth.
Genetics can also play a contributing factor in a deep bite. Due to genetics, some people have larger teeth than their jaw can accommodate causing misalignment of the teeth as some of them overlap.
Having missing teeth causes the face structure to collapse. Missing lower teeth particularly can result in the same condition as having a smaller lower jaw. This results in the front teeth growing outwards.
Some patients with strong bite muscles can develop a deep bite. This can be worsened if they clench their jaw or grind their teeth.
Complications Resulting From A Deep Bite
For most people, a deep bite is mostly an aesthetic problem. People with a deep bite often feel embarrassed to smile in public, which negatively affects their self-esteem. A deep bite can also cause a host of dental problems such as:
- Issues with biting or chewing of food
- Wear and damage of teeth
- Loss of teeth
- Damage to gums and the areas around the teeth
- Sores and ulcers in the mouth
- Changes in the structure of the tooth
The temporomandibular joint disorder is a more severe problem associated with a deep bite that can lead to pain, general discomfort and even locking of the jaw. If left untreated it can negatively impact a person’s hearing and sleep.
A deep bite also impacts oral hygiene as it makes it harder to clean sections of your teeth and gums. This may result in further dental issues down the line such as tooth decay and even complete loss of teeth.
How is a Deep Bite Fixed
It would require orthodontic treatment, which is dependent on age, the level of misalignment, concern about aesthetics, and additional health concerns the patient may have.
The first step involves pushing either the upper or the lower teeth deep into the supporting bone. You can also push both the lower and upper teeth into the bone. This is followed by elongating the side and the back teeth. The result is the bite is now open.
Today, deep bite treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach with orthodontics and restorative dentistry. It is treated by fixing the front teeth deeper while erupting the back teeth. This approach may seem very invasive but like most dental treatments, it is discrete.
The most common treatment for an overbite is the use of orthodontic braces and aligners. Most orthodontists are well versed in what it takes to treat deep bite, as it is a common procedure.
It is advisable to treat deep bites as early as possible as they worsen and become more pronounced over time. As time goes on the teeth wear down as people clench and grind their teeth. When the procedure is performed early, people can save themselves from having to go through procedures that are more complex as well as costly further down the line.
Conclusion
Having a deep bite may at the surface level only seem like an aesthetic issue but it can lead to more serious health complications if ignored. It is best to have it rectified when you are young before it becomes a lot more serious in the future.
Visit your dentist regularly to ensure your dental health is in top condition. Our New Delhi Dental orthodontics in Markham, ON, recommend visiting the dentist at least every six months.