What Does Deep Bite Mean and How is it Fixed?
Keeping up with oral hygiene is one of the challenges that everyone faces at some point. While trying to fix the crooked and misaligned teeth, hearing about the deep bite from your dentist can come as a surprise. What are its symptoms and possible fixes?
If you are also thinking about deep bite, this blog is for you. Here, we will discuss in detail why it is necessary to fix it and the possible options. Furthermore, Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics has professionals who genuinely care about your bite. They are committed to brightening up your chin with the proper treatment.
What is a Deep Bite?
A deep bite is a malocclusion when the upper jaw overlaps the lower teeth when closing the mouth. Sometimes, it affects a person’s ability to speak, eat, or smile. Moreover, it can also change the shape of a person, causing it to be rounder, older, or shorter.
Causes
Developing a bite-size issue can be done for several reasons. It can result from genetics or any accidental trauma to the teeth. Further, some of its reasons include:
Studies show that bite-size issues affect 15 to 20% of the population. It occurs due to poor jaw development during the formative years. Additionally, some bad habits also trigger this situation, such as excessive use of pacifiers, thumb sucking, and bottle feeding.
How Can You Tell If You Have a Deep Bite?
Understanding the signs of bite-size issues is crucial for early intervention, as timely treatment can alleviate discomfort and improve oral health.
Some other symptoms include:
- Tooth Wear: Increased wear on the teeth, especially the front teeth and back molars.
- Jaw Pain: Discomfort or pain in the jaw muscles, often due to strain.
- Headaches: Tension headaches that may stem from jaw clenching or grinding.
- Gum Issues: Increased risk of gum recession or irritation.
- Speech Difficulties: Challenges in pronouncing certain sounds.
- Biting Issues: Difficulty in biting or chewing, potentially leading to uneven wear.
- TMJ Disorders: The continuous pain and clicking sounds due to problems with the temporomandibular joint.
Does a Deep Bite Need to Be Corrected?
They need proper treatment to improve speaking and eating functions and overall dental hygiene. In some cases, teeth cleaning becomes a struggle as bristles do not clean teeth effectively. The plaque buildup leads to several other complications, such as periodontitis, gum diseases, tooth decay, and cavities.
The whole treatment is associated with tooth placement and jaw alignment. A deep bite vs. overbite treatment reduces tooth and jaw damage risk.
If left untreated, it progresses to the issues mentioned above, hence resulting in speaking and eating disabilities.
4 Best Treatment Options to Fix Deep Bite
The dentists recommend the treatments according to the condition of their patients. The good news is that its treatment is possible even at a later age. These are the best treatment options from which you can choose according to your budget and dental needs:
Braces:
Traditional braces are commonly used in dentistry to fix alignment issues in patients of all ages. The metal brackets and wires with attachments apply consistent pressure on the teeth and reposition them to achieve the perfect bite.
Although traditional braces are famous for this fix, you can choose any braces according to your personality.
Invisalign:
Another effective treatment to correct the deep bite is possible with Invisalign. In this treatment, a series of clear and removable aligners are used slowly to fix teeth positioning.
With regular adjustments, the aligners improve overall aesthetics and dental functions.
Palatal expander:
It is a custom-made orthodontic appliance that operates by widening the jaw arch. It offers better dental occlusion by gradually improving the bite size.
Two-phase treatment:
This option addresses a bite-size issue by realigning the teeth in the first phase. The second phase involves fixing and maintaining the corrected bite using advanced dental techniques.
The teeth alignment is corrected by repositioning some teeth using the braces and aligners.
Potential Complications of an Untreated Deep Bite:
Correcting a bite-size is necessary to avoid any potential damage to the teeth and jaws. Many people seek professional help to choose the correct option.
However, if left untreated, it causes severe dental complications such as:
The Bottom Line:
In summary, achieving a proper bite can prevent complications and address aesthetic issues. Delaying the much-needed dental treatment can make things worse.
FAQs
What happens if you don’t fix a deep bite?
If not corrected, it can cause several teeth-related complications, such as excessive tooth wear, temporomandibular joint disorder, and periodontal diseases.
Does deep bite affect the face?
Yes, it affects your face shape and smile. Moreover, it messes up your ability to eat, speak and breathe. It affects basic human functioning, leading to headaches and other problems.
How much deep bite is normal?
The deep bite between one to three millimeters is considered normal, but incisal margins of lower teeth must touch the upper teeth cingulum.
