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Downtown Charlottesville

Downtown Charlottesville434-971-9601

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Spring Creek540-832-6630

Common orthodontic problems

Bite issues fixed with braces & Invisalign®

Without orthodontic care, the perfect smile is a very rare thing. That’s because there are countless factors that can influence the development of our teeth, from bad habits like thumb sucking and nail-biting to the shape of our jaw bone that we were born with. Most people suffer from some sort of bite issue and abnormality which can make it more difficult to keep your smile healthy, which is why Charlottesville Orthodontics offers professional orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth and transform your smile into what it was meant to be. Even though the way our smile develops is completely unique to us, bite issues can be separated into eight common categories.

To learn more about these bite issues and how they can be treated, check out the information below.
How bite issues & abnormalities can be corrected

The only way to correct a misaligned bite is with orthodontic treatment. A common misconception about orthodontic treatment is that it only straightens the teeth, because, in fact, orthodontics can also make adjustments to the position of the jawbone, creating both a straight smile and a healthy, natural bite. Jaw issues are often corrected while patients are still at a young age, using special appliances such as palatal expanders, which will increase the amount of space in the jaw for the teeth to develop more naturally. After the jaw has been corrected, the teeth can be straightened using a variety of treatment methods including self-ligating braces, clear ceramic braces, and Invisalign, all of which we offer here at Charlottesville Orthodontics. The result is a perfect, healthy smile that is built to last for a lifetime! Get started by booking a free consultation with our Charlottesville and Zion Crossroads orthodontists today!

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The most common bite problems

When biting down, if the upper teeth fall in front of your lower teeth it means that your upper arch is extended out further than your lower arch, which is classified as an overbite. Most overbites can be treated with braces and Invisalign, pushing the upper teeth back in line with your lower teeth for a more natural bite. Sometimes, the overbite can be so minor that orthodontic treatment is not needed.
The opposite of an overbite, an underbite is when your upper teeth fall behind your lower teeth when biting down. Sometimes, the underbite can be very severe to the point where it can cause serious issues with eating and speaking, in which case it needs to be corrected with jaw surgery. However, in most cases, simple orthodontic treatment will do the trick and fix the issue.
This common problem is often confused with an overbite, but it is not the same thing. Having protruding upper teeth means that the teeth are actually angled outwards toward the lips which extend past your lower jaw. This is typically caused by bad habits like thumb sucking or tongue thrusting, which are common in children. With orthodontic treatment, the teeth can be moved back into alignment so they are no longer at an angle.
Crossbite is an issue where one dental arch is wider or more narrow than the other. The most common type of crossbite consists of a narrow upper arch, which results in front upper teeth falling in front of the lower teeth, but the upper rear teeth falling behind the lower teeth. For those who suffer from crossbite, problems with chewing and speaking are common. Often times, crossbites require a palatal expander to adjust the shape of the jaw, followed by braces or Invisalign to complete the alignment.
Gaps or spaces can be caused by the teeth being smaller than average or other issues such as missing teeth. Since gaps can easily become gathering places for food particles and bacteria, orthodontic treatment can be used to move the teeth and close the spaces.
Crowding is typically characterized by crooked and overlapping teeth. This bite issue is the result of teeth being bigger than average or a lack of adequate space in the jaw. In some cases of more severe crowding, your orthodontist in Charlottesville or Zion Crossroads may recommend a tooth extraction before getting braces or Invisalign in order to make enough room for the other teeth to move into a more natural position.
If you bite down and your upper and lower front teeth have a noticeable gap in between them, this is classified as on open bite. This type of bite abnormality can be particularly harmful to your oral health, since it puts extra pressure on the back teeth when eating, which can lead to more severe bite problems in the future, such as advanced wear and deterioration of those back teeth. For those who suffer from an open bite, it is recommended that you seek orthodontic treatment immediately to fix the issue.
With an ideal smile, the space between your two upper front incisors and the space between your two front bottom teeth should line up perfectly. When this doesn’t happen, it is a bite problem known as mismatched midlines. This is often a result of a misaligned jaw or a drifting or missing tooth. While midline issues may not have a drastic negative effect on the appearance of the smile, it can lead to other bite problems in the future if not corrected through orthodontic treatment.