Orthodontic Disorders

There are different types of bites that will determine what kind of dental work you might need in order to correct your bite. Weā€™ll discuss each one a little more in detail here but weā€™re always available to answer any questions you might have. Or if you have concerns regarding the ideal treatment for your bite we can address those for you as well.

Crossbite

A crossbite is when one or more of your upper teeth bite on the inside of your lower teeth. The common areas for crossbite include the sides of the mouth as well as the front. We recommend correcting a crossbite early on to prevent any unwanted side effects including:

  • Premature wearing of your teeth
  • Gum disease
  • Bone loss
  • Abnormal chewing patterns
  • Become related to TMJ (dysfunction of the jaw joints)

Correcting a Crossbite

A crossbite can be corrected orthodontically through the use of a retainer or braces. Both can help move your bite into the proper position. A palate expander might be required if you have multiple teeth that are in crossbite.

Openbite

Openbite is an insufficient vertical overlap of the teeth. It is caused by oral habits such as tongue thrust, digit sucking or when the jaws donā€™t grow evenly. Timing of treatment is critical to the overall success of the therapy.
An openbite is when your front teeth do not adequately overlap veritcally. There are different habits that can cause this such as sucking on oneā€™s thumb (or other fingers), uneven jaw growth and tongue thrust. In order to achieve more success with correcting an openbite early treatment is recommeded. If you delay the treatment of an openbite you might experience:

  • Premature wearing of the back teeth
  • Abnormal chewing patterns
  • Become related to TMJ (dysfunction of the jaw joints)

Correcting an Openbite

There are different methods for correcting an opebite including surgical jaw correction and growth modification of the jaws. Of course, breaking the habits that can cause an openbite, if present, should also be done for better, long-lasting results.

Overbite

When your upper front teeth vertically overlap your lower front teeth itā€™s called an overbite. You might have a minor overbite or yours may be more significant but we can help regardless. The cause of an overbite could be due to excessive development of the support bone for your teeth, or it could be caused by disproportionate front teeth eruption. Many times an overbite is identified as a deep bite. Delaying correction fo ran overbite might result in:

  • Abnormal wear of the front lower teeth
  • Improper function of the front teeth
  • Lower teeth biting into palate gum tissue producing a periodontal issue

Correcting an Overbite

Our experienced staff will help you correct an overbite by levelling the front and/or back teeth.

Overjet

An overjet is also referred to as ā€˜buck teethā€™ and is regularly mistaken for an overbite. An excessive overjet can be caused by many factors including:

  • Flared upper incisors
  • Missing lower teeth
  • Improper molar alignment
  • Crowded back lower teeth
  • Upper and lower jaw skeletal imbalance
  • Combination of any or all of the above

Oral habits can also play a role in problems stemming from overjet including thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. Itā€™s important to have an overjet addressed and corrected to avoid:

  • Premature wearing of the teeth
  • Improper function of front teeth

Underbite

An underbite means your lower teeth bite in front of your upper teeth. This can be caused by the lack of growth to the upper jaw, lower jaw overgrowth or a combination of the the two. Additional factors that can cause underbite include:

  • Missing upper teeth
  • Tipped back upper incisors
  • Flared lower incisors
  • Combination of any of the above

We recommend having an underbite corrected right away to avoid:

  • TMJ development (jaw joint dysfunction)
  • Improper function of the back and/or front teeth

Correcting an Underbite

We can help you correct that underbite through jaw growth modification, teeth extraction and when required or recommended, surgical jaw movement.

Impacted Teeth

When a tooth is unable to erupt correctly in your mouth it will remain somewhat or completely covered by your bone and/or gums. This is called an impacted tooth. What causes impaction?

  • Improper positioning of the tooth bud development
  • Prematurely losing primary teeth
  • Teeth crowding

The most common impacted teeth are wisdom teeth but there are times where the premolars or canines may be impacted as well. We recommend having impacted teeth corrected as soon as possible to avoid:

  • Root structure damage of adjacent teeth
  • Asymmetric teeth alignment
  • Improper teeth function
  • Unwanted spaces

Correcting Impacted Teeth

Our orthodontal specialists can help you correct impacted teeth typically through the use of a minor surgical procedure. This helps us to guide the specific tooth into the correct position.

Missing Teeth

There are many reasons teeth could be missing including trauma, extractions or teeth that simply never developed. However, it is very important to correct this problem to avoid:

  • Improper teeth function
  • Premature teeth wear
  • Asymmetric teeth alignment

Correcting Missing Teeth

We can help you with this and the method we choose for doing so will depend upon the need for more space to replace teeth or closing space using braces. If a space has been formed from the missing tooth then a dental implant or bridge can also be used.

Crowding of Teeth

This is pretty self-explanatory. Some people have too little space in their mouth to fit all of their teeth properly within their jaws. There could be displaced or rotated teeth when overcrowding is present. Overcrowding can be due to losing primary teeth early or late, teeth erupting improperly or jaw and tooth size genetic imbalance. We recommend correcting this problem to avoid:

  • Inability to properly clean all teeth surfaces
  • Increased risk of tooth decay
  • Increased risk of gum disease

Correcting Overcrowded Teeth

More space needs to be made and can be done via arch expansion or teeth extraction. Braces will help align teeth once space has been created. When you acquire proper spacing again you will be able to brush your teeth more thoroughly and correctly, thus lowering the risk of gum disease and tooth decay.

Spacing of Teeth

The opposite to overcrowding is spacing. Some people have excess space that leave gaps between their teeth. This often occurs in patients with small teeth but can also be due to impacted, missing or protrusive teeth, and also abnormal attachments of gum tissue. We advise correcting this problem to avoid:

  • Gum issues resulting from inferior protection by the teeth
  • Improper function of your teeth

Correcting Spaced Teeth

The teeth can be moved closer together so that the jaws align correctly and the space is filled.

Regardless of what problem you might be experiencing our dental experts are ready to help you achieve the smile you have always dreamed of. Call one of our Martindale Dental offices today to schedule a consultation.

Martindale Dental provides both general and specialty dentistry under one roof.Ā  For more than 20 years, our dentists have been advocates for their patient’s oral health care needs.
Our dental offices are conveniently located throughout the GTA in Hamilton (Jackson Square), and St. Catharines, Ontario. We offer convenient appointments before or after work & on weekends.

Martindale Dental provides both general and specialty dentistry under one roof.Ā  For more than 20 years, our dentists have been advocates for their patient’s oral health care needs.
Our dental offices are conveniently located throughout the GTA in Hamilton (Jackson Square), and St. Catharines, Ontario. We offer convenient appointments before or after work & on weekends.