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One in five Americans has a malocclusion. A malocclusion is a term for any misalignment of the teeth or jaw. Typical examples include overbites, underbites, cross bites and open bites.
A malocclusion can occur in many ways. For some it is the effect of a small jaw and too many teeth. Our ancestors’ jaws tended to be larger. Dietary and genetic changes have led to an average smaller jaw size, but haven’t changed the amount of teeth we receive. This can crowd out the other teeth and causing them to shift. Malocclusions can also happen when little children suck their thumbs or pacifiers often, thrust their tongues, or even when they lose a baby tooth due to decay or an accident before it’s ready to fall out. These events can affect the positioning of the jaw and bite as they develop.
The cure for a malocclusion will almost certainly be orthodontics, particularly braces. Your treatment plan may also include the extraction of baby teeth or even adult teeth or wearing other orthodontic appliances like headgear, a space-maintainer, elastics and retainers.
If you have any queries about your malocclusion, the finest thing to do would be to book a consultation with your orthodontist, Dr. Chris Trockel, at True Smile Orthodontics in Tulsa and Bixby, Oklahoma. You can phone our friendly orthodontic staff at 918-364-2222 for more information today!
