What kind of bite do you have: Underbite or Overbite?
While you may think that every bite is the same, having a misaligned jaw is actually quite common. You can usually tell when your top and bottom teeth don’t meet in the middle when you bite down. In this blog, we will learn about the type of bites and how they can be fixed.
Types of Bite
There are two common forms of bite, other than the perfectly straight kind that we all want. These are known as the underbite and the overbite, which are as imagined, bites either under or over your bottom teeth. What are the causes?
Underbite
Underbites can be seen as lower teeth that extend forward, in front of your top teeth. The main cause is that the jaw hasn’t grown properly.
If untreated an underbite can lead to more serious health issues such as:
- Forced abnormal breathing will lead to more problems,
- Jaw pain,
- The appearance of the face will look much different to someone with a perfectly aligned jaw,
- The ability to chew will be restricted as the top and bottom teeth will hit against each other and result in more pain.
Overbite
Overbite’s as you’ve probably guessed by now are the opposite of underbites. The top teeth now overlap the bottom ones. An overbite can have the same causes as an underbite and if left untreated can lead to problems such as gum recession. Having a damaged gum can then lead to gum disease and the possibility of losing a tooth.
These types of bite can be treated by both orthognathic treatment and functional braces. Orthognathic treatment combines both surgery and braces to correct jaw misalignment. This will both straighten your teeth and improve your face shape. Functional braces are used to correct teeth which protrude while correcting the bite.
At Northenden House Orthodontics we offer both treatments that can aim to correct your underbite and overbite, why not contact us now on 0161 884 1481 and find out more!
- Mohammad Malik
