Orthodontic care goes beyond making your smile more aesthetically pleasing. It also treats oral healthcare concerns. For example, aligning a bite could significantly reduce a patient’s risk of tooth decay and gum disease because aligned teeth are easier to clean.
At Brady Orthodontics, our treatments also help fix a bad bite.
Problematic Bite Examples
A bite that is not aligned correctly is inefficient and can cause many problems for you (which we’ll get to in a moment). Before discussing treatment options, we must first go over what we mean by a “bad bite.”
In orthodontics, your bite is defined as how your teeth come together when you close your mouth. Your bite could also be defined as using your teeth to cut into or tear something or eat food. All are true, and important to understand the importance of repairing a bad bite.
A bad bite can be called a few things, depending on what exactly makes your bite undesirable.
- An overbite is when the upper teeth stick out farther than your lower teeth.
- An open bite is when the top and bottom teeth do not connect when you bite down.
- An underbite is when the lower front teeth in your lower jaw stick out past the teeth in your upper jaw.
- A crossbite is when some or all teeth in your upper jaw fit inside the lower teeth.
- Overcrowding is when there is not enough space for your teeth, so they become pushed together.
- A misplaced midline bite is when the center of your upper front teeth doesn’t match with the center of your lower teeth.
Consequences of Bad Bite
An unusual jaw location can influence children’s facial structure as they grow.
In patients of all ages, a bad bite can…
- affect your oral hygiene by making it difficult and frustrating to clean your mouth thoroughly.
- make chewing uncomfortable and swallowing dangerous if you cannot chew your food into small enough pieces.
- cause narrow air passageways to develop, leading to dry mouth due to mouth breathing and potentially causing sleep issues like sleep apnea and snoring.
- create abnormal pressure on the jaw and produce pain in the jaw (TMJ) joint.
- make communicating awkward and cause speech impediments.
- put abnormal wear and tear on the teeth due to friction and grinding.
If you have bite problems, you are more likely to experience vitamin deficiency, indigestion, heartburn, tooth decay, gum disease, mouth sores, and other issues. You might also experience temporary or chronic jaw, head, and neck pain.
It is possible to have other symptoms of a bad bite not included in this list. Please let Dr. Brady know all your concerns so he can provide you with the best care possible.
Bite Treatment Options
Fortunately, Brady Orthodontics can fix most bite problems without surgery. Let’s look at some possible treatment options offered by us.
Metal Braces
We offer the famous and trusted metal braces we’ve all come to know and recognize, but with a modern twist. Through KLOwen, we are able to offer our patients customized metal braces.
The durability of metal braces allows them to treat even the most complex of teeth and jaw alignment issues — almost no bite is unfixable with metal braces! Metal braces also have the option for additional accessories to help fix the bite, such as orthodontic bands that help with jaw alignment and spacers that help with overcrowding.
This bonded appliance is excellent for patients of all ages.
Clear Braces
KLOwen also creates custom clear braces, and Brady Orthodontics is proud to offer our patients this sleek, subtle style.
Clear braces work almost identically to metal braces, except for a few noticeable differences. Instead of metal, clear braces use a ceramic mix of materials to create a tooth-colored bracket. When paired with matching ligatures, the ceramic braces have the illusion of being clear.
Another difference is that while clear braces are durable, they are not as strong as metal braces. They are more likely to chip or become damaged without proper care, so we recommend them for adults and older teenagers. Patients should also expect to spend more time in clear braces than metal braces to fix the same issues because ceramic braces cannot handle as extreme wire adjustments as metal, making them ideal for patients with less severe adjustments.
Invisalign
For patients with mild bite adjustments who want more freedom than braces allow, we provide clear aligners through Invisalign. Clear aligners are removable, transparent trays custom-made to fix snugly, comfortably, and discreetly over the teeth. Most people won’t even notice you’re wearing them! They are a perfect option for patients who don’t need heavy-duty braces and desire flexibility in their care. It is important to note that while Invisalign patients do not have to alter their diet or oral hygiene routine, they are responsible for remembering to wear the trays for twenty-two hours a day. Invisalign clear aligners can make bite adjustments on patients of all ages.
InBrace Hidden Braces
If you want a treatment option that you don’t have to remember to wear but still don’t want people to know you’re an orthodontic patient, then InBrace Hidden Braces might be right for you!
This bonded appliance sits behind the teeth and has the durability of traditional braces and even more discretion than clear aligners. The Smartwire technology allows InBraces to repair even the most complex of bites, and the unique shape and placement of the wire mean you don’t have to adjust your diet or oral hygiene routine.
With fewer appointments required and a significantly reduced risk of emergency orthodontic needs, they are perfect for on-the-go patients.
Visit Us At Brady Orthodontics For Your Smile Needs!
Your bite can impact many parts of your life, and you don’t want that impact to be negative! Brady Orthodontics can help you fix your bite for cosmetic and health reasons.
To learn more about our bite treatment options and to discover which you qualify for, contact us to schedule a free in-person or virtual consultation!
We look forward to transforming your smile!