How Does An Orthodontist Fix An Overbite?
25/07/2022
If you are embarrassed about your teeth, it can stop you from living freely and smiling when you are happy. In the media, we are surrounded by perfectly aligned white teeth – not everyone is as fortunate in real life.
An overbite is when your top teeth overlap your bottom teeth, this can cause alignment issues and make speaking and eating difficult as your bite will not be aligned correctly. An overbite is caused by either the shape and size of your teeth or your jaw. Too much or too little space in your jaw for your teeth can lead to crowded teeth or teeth set very far apart.
An overbite is caused by common infant behaviours such as thumb-sucking, using a dummy and prolonged use of baby bottles. As children get older, this only gets worse with habits such as nail biting and chewing items such as pens and pencils as they approach their teenage years.
If left untreated, an overbite can cause tooth decay, jaw pain, speech problems and much more. If you are worried about your overbite, you should visit your dentist.
Overbites are easier to correct in young children as their jaws are still developing. If you are an adult with an overbite, it can still be corrected by an orthodontist. Most overbites can be fixed with braces to correct the overlapping teeth. Whilst often avoidable, tooth removal may be necessary to create room in your mouth if your teeth are crowded and causing further overlapping.
Want to find out more about overbite correction? Book an appointment with a Kettering orthodontist.
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