Symptoms of Malocclusion
When the teeth aren’t aligned properly, this misalignment can lead to oral health complications and is known clinically as malocclusion. Some of these complications include overcrowding of the teeth, overbite, and underbite, and all of these can complicate a person’s ability to effectively chew, bite, and speak. Orthodontists are dental specialists who receive additional training in the treatment of malocclusions of all types, with the primary goal of correcting the alignment of the teeth and the bite. An orthodontist will diagnose the type of malocclusion and use specialized clinical tools and orthodontic techniques to return the teeth to their correct positions, and the choice of treatment will depend upon the specific type and severity of malocclusion.
Symptoms of malocclusion vary depending on the type of malocclusion present and may be mild to severe. Some of the more frequently reported symptoms include visibly misaligned teeth, pain or discomfort when chewing or biting down on food, problems speaking or breathing through the mouth, a change in the facial structure, and recurrently accidentally biting the tongue or insides of the cheeks. Malocclusion is diagnosed by a dentist during a regular dental visit, and if the dentist determines that malocclusion is present, the patient will be referred to an orthodontist. The orthodontist will take comprehensive x-rays and examine the patient to assess the class and type of malocclusion and determine the appropriate treatment approach, which is likely to include braces, a removable orthodontic device, or a clear aligner trays like Invisalign. In severe cases, surgical treatments may also be necessary to fully correct the malocclusion. The American Association of Orthodontists advocates children to have an orthodontic checkup before the age of seven, as malocclusions often appear in younger people, but malocclusions can exist in adults, too, and can be effectively treated.
There are many different types of malocclusions, and each case of malocclusion will fall into one of three different classes based on severity and urgency of correction. Overcrowding is a common type of malocclusion that arises due to lack of space in the oral cavity and manifests as overlapping and crooked teeth. When there is too much space in the oral cavity, the teeth may also migrate out of place, preventing the eruption of permanent teeth while adversely affecting the bite. When the upper front teeth don’t overlap the lower front teeth, or if there is a misalignment that causes other upper teeth to align incorrectly with the adjacent lower teeth, this is called an open bite. If the upper front teeth extend horizontally away from the lower teeth, this is an overjet, and if the upper front teeth overlap excessively over the bottom front teeth, this is called an overbite. An underbite appears when the lower front teeth overlap the upper front teeth when the jaw is closed, and a crossbite appears when any part of the upper teeth bite immediately inside the lower teeth; an underbite is also known as an anterior crossbite. Diastema is the type of malocclusion manifested by a space between two teeth that are adjacent to one another. While this can happen with any teeth, diastema most commonly appears as a gap between the upper front teeth. Orthodontists also adjust impacted teeth, which are teeth that cannot naturally erupt through the gums and must be exposed and braced to encourage eruption.
Malocclusion is most commonly an inherited condition, though it can also arise due to habits or conditions that affect the shape of the jaw. These can include tooth loss; cleft lip and palate; injury; oral tumors; an impacted tooth; poor oral hygiene; childhood habits like prolonged thumb sucking, bottle feeding, or use of a pacifier; and even having an airway that is partially blocked due to common allergies or inflamed adenoids.