Why Getting Braces to Fix an Overbite Is a Good Idea
So many people get braces to correct their misaligned teeth, but did you know that there are also a lot of people who get braces to fix an overbite they have? Living with an overbite not only makes people feel self-conscious, but an overbite can also cause problems for people. Here are several things to understand about the problems an overbite can cause and how braces can correct overbites.
Problems Caused by Overbites
An overbite is when a person's upper jaw extends over past his or her lower jaw. This positioning of the jaws creates a gap between the upper and lower jaws, and this problem can lead to a variety of issues. The first issue an overbite can cause is uneven tooth wear. Your teeth may wear unevenly simply because there is too much pressure on certain teeth and not enough pressure on other teeth.
Having an overbite can also lead to chipped or cracked teeth, jaw pain, gum disease, speech problems, and sleep apnea. If you have an overbite and want to avoid these types of problems, you should consider getting the overbite corrected through braces.
How Braces Correct Overbites
There are a variety of reasons people have overbites. Some people, for example, have overbites for hereditary reasons. Other people have overbites because the size of their mouth is too small or they have too many teeth in their mouth. In any case, braces can typically correct a person's overbite.
With braces, an orthodontist will apply brackets to the teeth and will place wires through the brackets. The purpose is to force teeth to move in a certain direction. Secondly, an orthodontist will typically require that the person wear small rubber bands which connect from the upper to the lower jaw. These small rubber bands might not seem like they would do anything, but they are very powerful. They have the ability to force the upper jaw back and the lower jaw forward. This process takes time, but little by little it will cause a person's overbite to shrink in size. When the bite is properly aligned, the person will no longer need to wear braces.
If you have an overbite and would like to avoid the problems listed here, you should contact an orthodontic clinic near you. An orthodontist can help you learn more about how braces could help improve the way you look and correct your overbite.
