While some overbites are inherited, others are brought on by a deformed jaw. When a child is young, the pressure of certain habits might cause the jaws to grow unevenly, leading to an underdeveloped lower jaw or an overdeveloped upper jaw. This overbite may result from habits developed early in life, such as thumb-sucking, protracted bottle-feeding, or tongue-thrusting. Also, later-developed habits like biting your nails or chewing on eraser heads can cause an overbite.
Treatment of overbite
Orthodontics is the most popular form of therapy for an overbite. Your orthodontist can decide the best course of treatment for you or your child's misalignment after analyzing the position of your mouth and jaw. To better understand the alignment of the upper and lower jaws, the orthodontist will first take imprints and an x-ray of the patient's teeth. The next step is straightening teeth using dental braces, although the type of braces used depends on the degree of correction required. Treatment durations might range from a year to two years or longer when using elastic bands or other similar devices. Everything depends on how severe the overbite is.
An overbite can be corrected at any age, although it is simpler to correct it in younger children since their jaws are prone to changes. While minor malocclusions involve surgery to realign the jaw, severe overbites may require tooth extractions to provide room for more effortless tooth movement. To evaluate whether orthodontics will be required as a treatment in the future, take your child or children to an orthodontist during their primary school years. Nothing, actually, but a pleasing smile makes you smile.
Consult our dentist about overbite treatment if your teeth have one. You and your children will soon be drawing attention with your grins. Call us today and book an appointment with us.
Thank you for trusting us with your oral health. Give us a call at (650) 321-9693.
2875 Middlefield Rd, Suite #1 Palo Alto, CA 94306-2548
While some overbites are inherited, others are brought on by a deformed jaw. When a child is young, the pressure of certain habits might cause the jaws to grow unevenly, leading to an underdeveloped lower jaw or an overdeveloped upper jaw. This overbite may result from habits developed early in life, such as thumb-sucking, protracted bottle-feeding, or tongue-thrusting. Also, later-developed habits like biting your nails or chewing on eraser heads can cause an overbite.
