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Bite correction refers to the alignment treatment of problems associated with two major dental components, namely the jaw and the teeth. These problems can arise due to a multitude of reasons, and their treatment mainly depends on their severity.
When looking for the perfect bite, both your upper and lower jaws need to align perfectly, and while such ideal alignment is considered rare, there are several dental treatments that users can utilize to ensure their bite can be further enhanced. This is why we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to ensure that users can start their journey towards the perfect smile seamlessly!
What Are Bite Problems?
Bite problems, also known as malocclusions, are caused by the misalignment of your upper and lower jaws, which can then cause noticeable discomfort in breathing, talking, and much more, along with other jaw-associated issues such as:
- Overbite: Occurs when the upper jaw overlaps and exceeds the lower jaw.
- Underbite: In contrast to overbite, underbite occurs when the lower jaw exceeds the upper jaw.
- Crossbite: Refers to the unfitting of teeth as the mouth is closed.
- Open Bite: When the upper and lower teeth do not necessarily meet each other when the mouth is closed, they are referred to as an open bite.
- Spacing: Commonly referred to as the gaps between the teeth.
Bite Correction Solutions You Need Today!
With the recent advancements in the field of orthodontics, the available solutions for bite correction encompass a wide range of options ranging from surgical treatments, removal processes, and dental appliances that are custom tailored for your needs. In fact, reports from NewMouth suggest that around 25% to 53% will require some orthodontic treatments in their lifespan.
As to which option suits your bite correction the best, it depends on the type of bite problem you’re currently dealing with. And while there isn’t a one-fix-all solution as of yet, here are some of the widely known orthodontic treatments that can help you correct your bite in no time.
Tooth Removal
A tooth removal procedure tends to solve the root cause of a bite problem by removing the teeth, causing the misalignment to in turn make space for other teeth. This procedure especially helps in cases where teeth crowding is considered to be the primary cause of a bite problem.
Dental Surgery
Moving towards more drastic measures, surgical options can help deal with severe variations of the bite problems discussed above. Generally, there are two surgical avenues considered for bite correction, which are as follows:
Orthognathic Surgery
An orthognathic surgery refers to the realignment of the lower and upper jaws for optimal bite correction. This surgical avenue can help users deal with the majority of the bite problems, such as crossbites, overbites, open bites, and much more.
Segmental Surgery
While not as extreme as orthognathic surgery, a segmental surgery involves the repositioning of certain segments of the jaw to deal with relatively small-scale bite issues.
Dental Appliances
For users experiencing mild bite and jaw problems, expert dentists and orthodontists usually suggest the use of modern-day dental appliances, which provide the ease of at-home teeth straightening choices as compared to the surgical options. The reasons for such are mainly due to the extended recovery times along with the extreme nature of the surgeries themselves.
Coming to which dental appliance will provide you the most value, here are some options you can choose from to ensure your bite recovers quickly without any risks.
Aligners
Used as an alternative to traditional steel braces, aligners help arrange your teeth in their desired state, which in turn helps in bite correction.
Braces
Traditional braces are used as a permanent solution due to their fixed compliance compared to aligners and offer solutions for a wide range of orthodontic problems.
Jaw Expanders
These expanders primarily focus on either the upper or lower jaws and are used for expansion purposes to create more space for the teeth themselves. This extra space can in turn lead to better teeth alignment and ultimately better bite correction.
While all the discussed avenues provide reliable bite correction and teeth straightening solutions, it is best to consult with a dentist or orthodontist, as each bite correction requires a different set of solutions tailored to meet specific requirements. All this is to ensure your bite is getting the treatment that they deserve.
FAQs
1. How long do bite correction treatments usually last?
While the duration of the treatment can vary depending on the severity of the bite problem, the treatments can last from a few months to more than a year.
2. Can we eat during our orthodontic treatment?
While most orthodontic treatments do allow some flexibility when it comes to daily food consumption, it is still best to consult with your orthodontist beforehand.
3. Are there any side effects of orthodontic surgeries?
Although dental surgeries are done with great care and expertise, there is still the possibility of swelling, bleeding, numbness, and much more.
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