How Braces Can Correct An Overbite
Posted on: 29 August 2018
Most people fully understand that the purpose of braces is to straighten out misaligned teeth, but did you know that braces are also very helpful for correcting an overbite? An overbite occurs when a person's upper jaw extends too far past his or her lower jaw, and this is something that braces can usually fix. Here are several things to know about braces and overbites.
The causes of overbites
A lot of people have overbites; however, many people have such minor cases that they do not really need treatment for them. When a person has a severe overbite, it will be very obvious by looking at him or her. There are several things that can cause overbites to occur, and here are some of the common causes:
- Hereditary reasons
- Thumb sucking
- Chewing on things you should not chew on
- Problems with the jaw bones
No matter what the cause is, an orthodontist might be able to fix the overbite with braces.
What the orthodontist must evaluate first
Before an orthodontist will place braces on a person's teeth to correct an overbite, he or she will need to fully examine the person's mouth. This will include taking x-rays of the person's mouth and making impressions of his or her teeth. By doing this, the orthodontist will see what needs to happen in order to correct the overbite, and these steps will also help the orthodontist spot any challenges he or she might face. Additionally, these steps will help the orthodontist determine if the person needs to have teeth extracted before getting braces.
How braces fix this problem
In many cases, placing braces on a person's teeth will help correct the overbite simply by realigning the person's teeth in a proper formation. In other cases, patients will need a little bit more work than this to fix the problem. One thing used for correcting overbites is small rubber bands. To correct an overbite with braces and rubber bands, the orthodontist would connect the upper and lower jaws together by putting rubber bands in certain areas. Though these bands are small, if placed properly in the mouth, they have the strength to pull the lower jaw forward and the upper jaw back. If this occurs, the overbite would slowly be corrected during orthodontic treatment.
If you have a teen child who has misaligned teeth or a bad overbite, you should visit an orthodontic service to learn more about the treatment options available.
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