Overjet (protrusion), reverse bite, etc. are known as malocclusion (wrong bite). Malocclusion is a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches when they meet each other as the jaws close for biting or chewing. You may also need an orthodontist if your teeth are straight but unfortunately, your bite is off. Malocclusion not only badly impacts on your oral health, but also make your facial appearance imbalanced.

Signs of malocclusion

“Occlusion” defines the contact between the teeth of two dental arches and the jaws during chewing or at rest. Proper occlusion indicates the state in which both jaws are well matched in size, and the size of the teeth is proportionate to the size of the jaws. In addition, the teeth are straight and when they approach together, the joint is allowed to sit supported in its natural position with the muscles in a balanced state.

The most common types of malocclusion are crowding, spacing, open bite, deep bite, overjet, reverse bite. “Malocclusion” defines a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the maxilla (upper arch) and the mandible (lower arch) when they meet each other during chewing or at rest. Even when your smile look straight, abnormal growth of jaws resulting in incorrect relation between two arches can also leads to malocclusion.

Causes of malocclusion

Malocclusion can present at birth or be acquired from habits or unexpected incidents

• Passed down through families
• Early loss of primary teeth or unusual permanent teeth replacement
• Bad childhood habits, such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, pacifier use and prolonged use of a bottle, cause changes to the development and growth of the teeth and jaws, which in turn can cause malocclusion

• Abnormally erupting teeth, lost teeth, impacted teeth cause teeth misalignment.

Impact of malocclusion

• Badly adjust your facial structure and aesthetics
• Make patients lose their esteem, feel embarrassed while communicating or smiling

• Malocclusion is big obstacle encumbering proper oral hygiene practice, which leads to many oral diseases, such as tooth decay, periodontal disease, premature tooth wear or fracture. Protrusion teeth are prone to injury.

• Cause difficulties in biting and chewing, affecting directly the digestive system
• Incorrect pronunciation
• Lead to temporomandibular joint dysfunction (commonly known as TMJ), severe headaches, and sleep disorders.