Oral Health Issues and Overbites

Teeth that do not come together properly can have detrimental effects on your oral health. Overbites can lead to problems speaking, breathing, or biting and chewing your food. Also, some patients experience damage to their other teeth and gums. In addition, a severe overbite can make people feel self-conscious about their smile and damage their self-confidence about their appearance..

How Soon Should You Correct an Overbite

In some cases, treatment for an overbite is not necessary. Mild overbites often cause few symptoms or damage. However, severe overbites do require treatment, and the sooner the better. For example, treatments are often easier and faster for children because the dentist can intervene before the mouth and jaw have completed development. That said, there is no age limit for treating an overbite. Dentists know how to fix an overbite even when the jaw is fully developed. However, once the jaw is completely developed, it might take longer and require treatments that involve removing teeth or repositioning the jaw surgically.

Adult and Pediatric Overbite Treatment

There are several pediatric treatment options for an overbite. For example, a palate expander is a special appliance a dentist attaches to the upper teeth that gradually moves them outward via an expansion screw that widens the roof of the mouth. Sometimes braces, which move the teeth with brackets and wires, or clear aligner therapy with Invisalign, which move the teeth with a series of clear plastic trays, will do the trick. Adult treatment options are not entirely different. Although it is too late to use the palate expander, adults can also have their overbites corrected with braces or clear aligner therapy. In some cases, the dentist might suggest tooth extraction to make more room in the jaw to properly align teeth. Also, some adult overbite correction cases might require surgery to reposition a misaligned jaw.