In a perfect bite, both the upper and lower teeth meet. Unfortunately, lots of people, both adults and children, have bites that are misaligned. The good news is that our orthodontic staff at Speaks Orthodontics can correct these bad bites and help our patients achieve not just a beautiful smile but improvement in their ability to eat and speak. Here are common bite problems in adults and children:
Crossbite
A crossbite is a type of misalignment where the upper teeth don’t align with the lower teeth but are either too close to the cheek or too close to the tongue. This can be the result of something wrong with the teeth or something wrong with the bone of the jaw. It can involve one or more teeth.
Underbite
In an underbite, the lower jaw and teeth jut out from the upper jaw and teeth.
Open Bite
An open bite can be either anterior or posterior. In an anterior open bite, the back teeth are aligned but the front teeth are not. In a posterior open bite, the front teeth are aligned, but the back teeth are not.
Crowding
Crowding means that there is not enough room in the jaw to accommodate all the teeth. This can be the result of the jaw being too short or the teeth being too big.
Spacing
This is the opposite of crowding. The space between the teeth is too wide because the patient is missing teeth, the teeth are too small, or the jaw is too large.
Deep Bite
In a deep bite, the upper front teeth almost completely cover the bottom teeth, sometimes to the point where the upper teeth can cut into the lower gums.