In orthodontics, we define bite as how your upper and lower teeth come together when you close your mouth.
Your bite plays a considerable role in many aspects of your life, and a bad one can negatively impact your quality of life. At Brodsky Orthodontics, we can help you fix your bite safely, quickly, and non-invasively. But before we get into that, let’s discuss what a bad bite is and what it could mean for you.
What Do We Even Mean By “Bad Bite”?
A bad bite occurs when your teeth don’t line up in a comfortable or functional way. Depending on your alignment, there are a few terms for a bad bite:
- Overbite – when the upper teeth stick out farther than your lower teeth.
- Open bite – when the top and bottom teeth do not connect when you bite down.
- Underbite – when the lower front teeth in your lower jaw stick out past the teeth in your upper jaw.
- Crossbite – when some or all teeth in your upper jaw fit inside the lower teeth.
- Overcrowding – when there is not enough space for your teeth, so they become pushed together.
- Misplaced Midline Bite – when the center of your upper front teeth doesn’t match with the center of your lower teeth.
Okay, But It’s Not That Serious, Right?
Have you ever tried to use a straw without looking and kept missing? It was a little funny, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, a bad bite is more than your food mysteriously eluding you. Common complications include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Unwanted influence in the facial structure of developing children.
- Difficulty performing adequate oral hygiene due to overcrowding or pain in jaw movement.
- Narrow air passageways lead to mouth breathing, sleep apnea, snoring, and other breathing problems.
- Dry mouth.
- Complications with chewing can lead to choking, indigestion, heartburn, malnutrition, and illness.
- Temporary or chronic jaw (TMJ) joint pain, neck pain, head pain, and migraines.
- Trouble communication due to pain or speech impediment(s).
- Abnormal wear and tear from friction and grinding.
Bite complications increase your risk of tooth decay, tooth sensitivity, gum disease, mouth sores, dryness, bad breath, and other oral health problems. If your symptoms are severe enough, your bad bite could also produce mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
Yikes! How Can We Fix A Bad Bite?
Fortunately, Brodsky Orthodontics has the skills and the know-how to fix your bad bite, no matter how complex it might be! Let’s check out some treatment options!
Metal Braces
This treatment option is the superstar of orthodontics. Their ability to handle almost all alignment needs has allowed them to stand the test of time and earn a reliable and respected reputation.
At Brodsky Orthodontics, we offer miniature metal braces, and no, we don’t sell braces small enough for dolls! When we say miniature, we mean that our metal brackets are as small as possible to give you the treatment you need comfortably and subtly.
Metal braces are durable, so they can handle the most pressure and accommodate accessories like orthodontic bands and spacers without the risk of damaging the appliance.
Our stainless steel braces can treat patients of all ages and varying severity.
Clear Braces
These are almost identical to metal braces. The difference? The material! Clear braces use a ceramic blend to create a tooth-colored bracket. When worn with matching ligatures, they have the illusion of clear braces!
We recommend this treatment option for adults and older teenagers because they require a little more care than traditional metal braces.
InBrace Hidden Braces
This unique style of braces sits behind the teeth for utmost discretion – no one will know you’re in treatment unless you tell them!
InBrace’s Smartwire technology eliminates the need for tightening appointments, and its unique shape and placement mean that you don’t have to alter your diet or oral hygiene routine. You can continue to live life as if you weren’t in treatment!
InBrace Hidden Braces can treat all kinds of bite problems in children, teens, and adults.
Invisalign
Brodsky Orthodontics is proud to offer our patients the leading brand of in-office clear aligners. Invisalign creates custom transparent, removable trays that can straighten the teeth in as little as six months. Invisalign makes trays for children, teens, and adults with mild orthodontic needs. Patients have no food restrictions and don’t have to change their diet, but they do have to remember to wear the trays for twenty-two hours a day.
Sometimes, your treatment option needs some help to fix your bite. Orthodontic appliances that we offer patients include TADs, palatal expanders, lower lingual arch, Herbst appliance, diode laser, and more! We also provide Two-Phase Treatment for our younger patients, which can begin when children are as young as seven.
Brodsky Orthodontics Can Help Make Your Bite Right!
We are proud to provide our community with such a wide range of treatment choices so we can help as many people as possible fix their alignments and improve their quality of life! With so many ways to upgrade your smile, we can treat the whole family in one place!
To learn which treatment option you qualify for, schedule your free consultation with us today! At your first session, Dr. Joel Brodsky or Dr. Charles Brodsky will evaluate your orthodontic needs, address all your concerns, and answer all your questions.
We can’t wait to meet you and your family, so come see us soon!