Definition
A malocclusion is a misalignment of the upper and lower teeth when biting or chewing.
Description
The word malocclusion (Latin term) literally means "bad bite." This condition also includes malocclusion, crossbite, and deep occlusion. An overbite can show up as crooked, protruding, or crowded teeth. This condition can affect the child's appearance, speech, and/or ability to chew food.
Demographic characteristics
Most children have malocclusion with varying degrees of severity. Occlusion deformity usually does not require special treatment, unless it concerns appearance. Most often, such an bite occurs in children if:
- the parents have it
- the child had a habit of sucking a finger or a pacifier;
- a tooth is lost prematurely.
Causes and symptoms
Malocclusion is mostly inherited, but it can also be earned through bad habits. Inherited conditions include conditions where there are too many or few teeth, too much or too little space between them, as well as the wrong size and shape of the mouth and jaw and their atypical structure like a cleft palate.
Malocclusion can be earned due to bad habits or various circumstances. For example, thumb sucking, tongue pressure, premature loss of a tooth due to injury or disease, and health problems such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids that make you breathe through your mouth.
Occlusion deformity can develop without symptoms or cause pain due to the increased load on the structure of the oral cavity. Unusual signs of wear may occur on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Also, teeth can be destroyed in places where they are tightly closed. Chewing may be difficult.
When to visit a doctor?
A dentist or orthodontist should be visited if the child's teeth appear crooked, or if the child complains of pain in the teeth or jaw.
Diagnosis
An overbite is usually determined during a routine dental checkup. The doctor checks the bite by observing how the teeth meet when the child makes a normal bite.
The dentist may ask the child to hold a piece of special paper between their teeth. It will leave colored marks that indicate the places of contact of the teeth. If malocclusion is suspected, doctors may take x-rays of the face and mouth for further examination. To confirm the presence and degree of malocclusion, the dentist makes plaster or plastic models of the patient's teeth based on the impression. These models duplicate tooth alignment and are very helpful in treatment planning.
Treatment
In case of malocclusion, orthodontic treatment is used.
Orthodontics is a specialization in dentistry that manages the growth and adjustment of dental and facial structures. In the treatment of malocclusion, braces are most often used. Approximately 4 million people in the US wear braces. Most of them are children and teenagers.
Braces act on teeth with slight pressure to reposition them and straighten them in relation to other teeth. Braces consist of brackets that are attached to the surface of each tooth, and wires made of stainless steel or a nickel-titanium alloy. When the wires are pulled through the braces, they put pressure on the teeth. And the teeth gradually begin to shift.
The braces do not come off with daily brushing. Therefore, in order to prevent tooth decay, the child must brush his teeth thoroughly and not leave food particles that can easily get stuck somewhere. Crunchy foods should be avoided to minimize the risk of breakage. Hard fruits, vegetables and bread should be cut into small pieces before eating. Sticky foods like chewing gum should be avoided as they can pull back the braces and loosen the attachments to the teeth. Carbonated drinks also affect attachments and cause tooth decay. Therefore, you should brush your teeth immediately after eating.
If an overbite is formed as a result of crowded teeth, one or more of them can be removed (surgically) to make room for the rest. If a tooth has not yet erupted or is already lost, the orthodontist may use a space retainer to keep other teeth from moving. In severe cases, the bite is corrected surgically. Then the patient is sent to the maxillofacial surgeon.
When the teeth have moved to the desired positions, the brackets are removed. Only a retainer is left in the oral cavity to strengthen the teeth in their places. Retainers do not move teeth. They only hold their position. At first, it is worn all the time. Then only at night, and at the end it is completely cleaned.
Key Terms
- Braces are orthodontic appliances that consist of brackets attached to the surface of each tooth and a stainless steel or nickel-titanium alloy wire. Braces correct malocclusion by shifting the position of the teeth.
- An impression is a mold of the upper and lower teeth made of plastic material. Once this material hardens, it can be filled with plaster, plastic, or artificial stone to make an accurate model of the teeth.
- Occlusion (occlusion) - the position of the upper and lower teeth when closing and chewing. Also the term refers to blockage of some area or channel of the body.
- A retainer is an orthodontic appliance that stabilizes teeth in a new position.
- A space retainer is an orthodontic appliance that keeps adjacent teeth from moving towards a space where a tooth has not yet erupted or been lost.
- Orthodontic treatment is the only effective option for correcting an overbite that does not require surgery. But depending on the cause and severity of the condition, an orthodontist may suggest alternatives to braces. If the malocclusion is caused by the habit of sucking a finger or a pacifier, but the child got rid of it in time, then the bite will return to normal spontaneously and without treatment.
Alternative Treatment
There are several CranioSacral Therapy techniques that can change tooth structure. This therapy allows you to correct some types of bite. If surgery is required, then preparation for surgery and recovery after it can be accelerated with the help of homeopathic medicines, vitamins and mineral supplements.
There are also night guards. They are sometimes recommended to relieve tension in the jaw and help with bruxism .
Forecast . Depending on the cause, the severity of the disorder, and the treatment used, correction can take two years or more. Usually patients wear braces for 18-14 months, then a retainer for another year. Treatment is faster and more successful in children and adolescents whose teeth and bones are still developing. The time of treatment also depends on compliance with all the prescriptions of the orthodontist.
Prevention
Malocclusion cannot be prevented. Its severity can be minimized by controlling habits like thumb sucking. Until the child is seven years old, it is necessary to bring him to the first consultation with an orthodontist. This will help control the development and growth of dental and facial structures and bypass many of the factors that lead to malocclusion.
Parents' concerns
Most often, bite is treated due to problems in appearance. For the same reasons, children do not want to undergo such treatment, because they will have to wear braces. But you can plan the treatment so that it is convenient for both the child and the parents. If you talk to the child and convey to him the essence of this treatment, then you can get his consent. Full compliance with the orthodontist's prescriptions ensures that the treatment will be successful.
