The Meaning of a Bad Bite

The concept of malocclusion refers to upper and lower teeth that don’t enclose properly. A lot of patients, adults and kids, suffer from these alterations in their bite and it can influence in their physical and social wellness. Sometimes they are imperceptibles but it is a very common pathology.

The causes can be very diverse, from genetics to bad habits. The normal bite is the one when upper teeth protrude ahead the lower ones. When this situation is upside down we have a bad bite case. But, what are the top five basic problems of a malocclusion?

• Crossbite is the type of bite where the upper teeth bite from the inside of the lower ones. This causes an uneven wear of the teeth and jaw joints’ problems too.
• Overbite occurs when upper teeth cover too much the lower teeth and sometimes they are completely covered. This type of malocclusion can lead in an abnormal wear of the frontal teeth and damage the gums behind the upper teeth.

• Protrusion of the upper teeth is when the teeth on the top are positioned too ahead.
• With the open bite the upper incisive don’t cover as they should the lower ones provoking an overload in joints and affecting negatively the aesthetic, it also causes problems in gums and it wears the back teeth.
• Crooked, overlapping and crowded teeth. In these cases, upper and lower teeth don’t fit provoking the malocclusion of the pieces. This can cause so many problems in oral health, from periodontal illness due to the difficulties to clean teeth, gums injuries and wear of teeth.

In most of the cases, the best solution to fix the inadequate bite is the orthodontics. Sometimes, small problems can require another kind of treatment, being this alternative more suitable. The contouring of teeth when there is a little overlap or the length of the teeth is not homogeneus, porcelain veneers when the dental arc of the patient is very narrow or dental crowns when the wear of the teeth is extreme as a consequence of time or bruxism habits.

A good bite and aligned teeth are the best guarantee of a healthy mouth. And now, recover the functionality and aesthetic is possible thanks to the new techniques and the design of smile protocols.