Overbite Treatment
Nothing is more welcoming than a luminous smile. It’s the confidence boost you need to navigate social and professional settings – and all you need is a set of straight teeth.
An overbite is a common dental health problem. Although it doesn’t always need medical treatment, it’s better to leave that judgement call to the specialist experts.
Don’t let an overbite prevent you from living life to the fullest. Take charge of the dental health of you and your family.
Discuss your overbite treatment options with Dr Wexler
It’s not always simple to get the smile of your dreams, particularly if you have an overbite.
If you’re looking for a competent orthodontic treatment to reverse your overbite, you can trust that you’ll be in good hands with Dr Wexler.
When you bite down, the molars from your upper and lower teeth should comfortably fit together. If you have a jaw misalignment that prevents an equal bite, this is known as an underbite or overbite.
Dr Wexler is skilled at treating misaligned jaws and overbites, as well as a range of other oral health problems such as overcrowded teeth, crooked teeth, cavities and more.
A bad bite isn’t uncommon and is typically manageable. However, an overbite can cause problems for your dental health if left unchecked, so it’s best to fix the issue.
Jaw problems can be unpleasant and uncomfortable – but you should never feel like there’s anything stopping you from smiling.
The health benefits of getting an overbite treatment
There is a range of medical and psychological advantages, from keeping your smile healthy, improved digestion and fewer headaches to a boost to your self-assurance.
On the flip side, crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw can lead to health issues such as grinding your teeth, clenching your jaw, jaw pain, or even difficulties with chewing or speaking.
Avoiding an overbite treatment can lead to health complications
An untreated overbite can lead to major dental health issues. When an overbite is ignored, it doesn’t leave enough room in the mouth, so it can cause the teeth to grow crowded and crooked.
As the jaw muscles become tight and painful, this leads to further problems such as aching jaws, tooth decay and cavities, gum disease, pain during eating, headaches, and more.
In fact, not treating an overbite can even affect how you look, especially as you age. Your entire face structure might change, from weak chins to sunken cheeks.
What is an overbite?
An overbite is a protrusion of the jaw that causes the top teeth to protrude past the bottom teeth when you bite.
In both children and adults, a jaw alignment problem is more likely to cause an overbite rather than an underbite.
Medical professionals classify malocclusion as occurring when the top teeth protrude between 30 and 50% beyond the bottom teeth. The typical overbite is 2 to 4 mm forward of the lower teeth. Other types of malocclusions include underbites, crossbites and open bites.
You may have heard the term “buck teeth” used to describe an overbite, but professionally it is referred to as a prognathism.
Most overbites are classified as normal bites with minimal teeth overlap. However, more severe overbites with a deeper teeth overlap may require more complex treatment.
What is the cause of an overbite?
The causes of an overbite, even the severe cases, are usually biological. This means the causes are heredity or occurred during foetal development, rather than being affected by environmental factors.
The most prevalent cause of overbites is the size and form of the jaw and teeth. For instance, a lower jaw with too much or not enough space to fit in all of the teeth can lead to an overbite.
However, there is some evidence that the emergence of an overbite is linked to the behaviour and habits that young children develop. For instance, thumb sucking or using a baby’s pacifier for too long, beyond the age of 3, can cause the tongue to move backwards and lead to jaw pain and misalignment later in life.
If you are grinding your teeth or have temporomandibular joint dysfunction, this can also contribute to an overbite.
In order for your orthodontist Melbourne to identify an overbite early, it is crucial that you bring your children in earlier rather than later. It may be possible to prevent an overbite from progressing too far. Without treatment, this is likely to develop into a noticeable overbite as an adult.
How to fix your overbite
The best way to correct an overbite is through specialist orthodontic treatment.
An overbite can be effectively treated with orthodontic devices such as traditional braces, clear aligners or upper jaw expanders.
Usually, the earlier you start treating an overbite, the better. It’s far more effective to correct an issue as a child rather than waiting until later in life. Children can benefit from treatments that are not only less invasive to implement but also more successful in their results.
Having said that, it’s never too late. There are a variety of orthodontic techniques to fix overbites in adults, too.
There’s a chance you require surgery. If your jaw is fully developed, overbite surgery may be needed for severe overbite cases. If your teeth protrude too far, the surgery can realign your upper and lower jaw to correct your bite. Overbite surgery may be considered for females from the age of 14 to 16 and males from the ages of 17 to 21.
However, most patients only need a braces treatment or an Invisalign treatment. If you have an uncorrected overbite, call us about your orthodontic treatment plan before you develop more severe symptoms.
Overbite treatment for adults and children
Both children and adults can treat their overbite with braces, aligners, jaw expanders or even overbite correction surgery.
Kids’ braces, aligners and other devices can realign their jaw as they grow. In the past, braces were frequently the preferred therapy; however, clear aligner technology has developed to the point that it is now the industry leader in early childhood orthodontics.
Other options include wearing retainers during the night to seal the teeth into place.
There are also options in adult braces and clear aligners such as SureSmile and Spark Aligners. Similar to child patients, our adult patients find aligner therapies to be more effective and desirable, as they are nearly undetectable, detachable, and give results in half the time of conventional metal braces.
If you are having any problems with your overbite, we can discuss the best course of action and the most appropriate therapies for your dental health.
