Do you know what a perfect smile looks like? One of the main things that makes a smile healthy and beautiful is the alignment of your teeth. When the teeth aren’t crooked, crowded, or protruding, the bite is perfectly aligned.
But what if your teeth are any of those? This means your bite is uneven, which can cause more damage to your teeth and gums over time. A misaligned bite can exert increased pressure on the affected teeth, causing their enamel to wear off and the teeth to chip or break.
Is your bite uneven and misaligned? Your periodontist in Mississauga will recommend bite adjustment to fix the alignment of your bite. Bite adjustment will make your bite even, so both upper and lower arches of your teeth are aligned.
Keep reading to learn more about the reasons why you need bite adjustment and the signs to look out for.
What is bite adjustment?
What is bite?
First of all, what is “bite”? Bite is a term that describes how the upper and lower arches of your teeth fall or line up when your mouth is closed. A perfect bite means your upper and lower teeth line up perfectly when your mouth is closed.
Meanwhile, if your bite is misaligned, you will need bite adjustment. Also known as malocclusion, a misaligned bite can cause your teeth to be crooked or crowded in some parts. Malocclusion or an imperfect bite is typically caused by a number of reasons, such as genetic factors, thumbsucking during infancy, dental fillings and crowns that cause the teeth to shift, and blunt force trauma and injuries to the mouth.
As a result, these teeth exert increased pressure on each other and on the gum tissues, causing the enamel of the teeth to wear down, and the teeth to chip and break. This damage can potentially extend to the jawbone.
How Bite Adjustment Helps
To fix a misaligned bite, your periodontist will recommend bite adjustment. This will alleviate the strain on your teeth, gums, and jawbone, as well as pain or discomfort in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Bite adjustment will prevent the teeth from prematurely wearing down and loosening, as well as the bite from affecting the jawbone.
Signs that You Need Bite Adjustment
Do you need bite adjustment treatment? Sometimes, the most common signs, such as crowding of the teeth or crooked teeth may not be present or visible. To find out if your bite is misaligned, your periodontist will examine your bite and jaw for the following factors, and recommend bite adjustment treatment:
- The symmetry of the lower face
- Dentition, or whether you have gaps or spaces in the development and arrangement of your upper and lower teeth
- If you have any interdental spaces in the rows of the teeth
- If your molars and premolars lose contact when the jaw moves forward or backward.
Types of Malocclusion
If any of these factors or warning signs are present, your periodontist will diagnose the type of malocclusion or misalignment of your bite and recommend the appropriate treatment. Your periodontist in Mississauga will identify any of these types of malocclusion present:
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Crossbite
- Crowding
An overbite occurs when the upper teeth overlap with the lower teeth and protrude way past it. An overbite results in an uneven smile, along with more serious consequences such as jaw pain and TMJ disorders.
The opposite of an overbite, an underbite occurs when the lower teeth overlap with the upper teeth. Similar to an overbite, an underbite can also exacerbate pain in the jaw. As the lower teeth protrude in underbite, it makes the chin jut out or extend past the rest of the facial features.
The third type of malocclusion is a crossbite. A crossbite occurs when both an overbite and underbite are present. Essentially, a crossbite means that the upper and lower teeth unevenly overlap throughout the mouth. A crossbite not only results in the same problems above, but they can do so with greater damage. In addition to joint and jaw pain, and difficulty chewing and speaking, a crossbite can also lead to bone loss and dysfunctional bone development.
Finally, the last type of malocclusion is crowding. This spacing problem causes the teeth to crowd in certain areas, leading to a crooked smile and misaligned smile. Similar to the other types of a misaligned bite, crowding can also affect the teeth, gums, and jaws.
Benefits of Bite Adjustments
An overbite, underbite, crossbite, and crowding all cause serious problems in your teeth, gums, and jawbone. The sooner your periodontist detects these problems, the better the outlook for your oral health. If you suspect that your bite is misaligned or you’re already experiencing symptoms such as pain in the jaws or a disorder in your TMJ, difficulty chewing, and gum disease, it’s best to speak with a periodontist right away.
Here are the benefits of bite adjustment:
- Bite adjustment will alleviate stress on your teeth and jawbone, preventing their enamel from wearing down and eventual loss
- Bite adjustment will also prevent symptoms, including migraines and pains in the jaws and beck
- If you are wearing dentures, bite adjustment will prevent them from wearing against the alveolar ridge, causing sores, and leading the dentures to loosen. Overall, bite adjustment will help bridges, dental crowns, and other dental appliances work properly.
Book Your Bite Adjustment at Periodontal Associates
As you’ve learned above, having a misaligned bite is no way to live. You need a healthy and correct bite so your teeth don’t become crooked and crowded. A healthy bite also keeps your gums and jawbone healthy over the years. The good news is, bite adjustment isn’t too complex.
Our periodontists in Mississauga can help. At Periodontal Associates, we specialize in treating your bite and restoring it to its optimal position. Our highly trained periodontists offer a range of treatments of bite adjustment, combined with long-term periodontal care. Through bite adjustment, we can ensure that your teeth, gums, and jawbone are healthy, and you won’t have to deal with the side effects of a misaligned bite.
Do you have a misaligned bite? Whether it’s an underbite, overbite, crossbite, or crowded teeth, our periodontists in Mississauga can help. Visit Periodontal Associates to learn more about bite adjustment.
