Lady with straight teeth and a great smile

MARSH HOUSE ORTHODONTICS

Orthodontic problems

TYPES OF TEETH MISALIGNMENT

Occlusion refers to your teeth’s alignment; your teeth should be sat in your mouth without crowding or spacing issues. 

Typically, the upper teeth rest above the lower teeth when your jaw is closed and the top surfaces of the molars line up. However, this is not always the case. Malocclusion of the teeth is a misalignment problem that can lead to oral health complications. Common types of misalignment are shown below.

Openbite - before and after orthodontic treatmentJaw mal-alignment - before and after orthodontic treatmentOverbite - before and after orthodontic treatmentOverjet - before and after orthodontic treatmentSpacing - before and after orthodontic treatmentOverbite - before and after orthodontic treatmentCrowded teeth - before and after orthodontic treatment

Crowding

This is when your teeth fight for space in your mouth, overlapping with each other like “fangs”. They are difficult to clean and not aesthetically pleasing.

Crossbite

This is when the back teeth are biting outside the “occlusal table” of
the mouth which tend to affect chewing ability and jaw joint problems.

Spacing

This is when you have big gaps between your teeth, this causes an aesthetic problem.

Overjet

This is when the upper front teeth stick out causing an aesthetic problem and inability to chew effectively.

Overbite

This is then your upper jaw juts out over your lower jaw causing trauma to the gum and inability to chew effectively.

Jaw mal-alignment

This is when there is discrepancy in the relative sizes of the jaws leading to inability to chew effectively.

Openbite

This is when the front teeth are unable to make contact when chewing. This is generally referred as “under bite” which tends to affect speech as well.

The benefits of orthodontics

Beside the appearance of your teeth, orthodontic treatment can contribute to overall oral health, smile, psychological wellbeing,
self-esteem and confidence. Orthodontic treatment therefore should generally be seen as investing in your child’s or your future!

If you would like to find out more about how we can help, please get in touch.

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