Your smile says a lot about you.

There have been many surveys and research papers done that show very clearly that people make decisions about others based solely on the quality of their smile. When a person has a smile that is crooked, stained or missing teeth, people may view them as less educated and as less successful. This is also true of individuals who have an excessive overbite.

Proof of this can be seen when one looks at the way that animators draw characters that are of supposed lower intelligence. They will often have a huge overbite or even a huge under bite. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are battling with an overbite or an under bite. When parents see that their children are dealing with this, they may ask why their child has an offset bite. There are multiple reasons for this problem, and there are also multiple treatments that can effectively address the problem.

The Under and Over Bite

An upper front teeth protrusion, or an overbite, is where the upper jaw overlaps the lower jaw. Overbites are a lot more common in children. An overbite is considered normal if there is between 3 mm and 5 mm of difference between the lower teeth and the upper teeth. However, when the difference exceeds 5 mm, then it is considered to be abnormal and requires a corrective treatment. An under bite is where the lower part of the jaw protrudes past the upper jaw. Since the lower jaw plays a large role in defining a person’s profile, an underbite can have a more profound effect on a person’s appearance than an overbite. Children usually have an upper front teeth protrusion as a result of genetics. They become worse if a child has the habit of sucking on their thumb, if they suck on a pacifier for many years, if they have developed poor chewing habits or if they have the nervous habit of pushing their tongue against the bottom of their teeth. Additionally, children may develop an underbite as a result of allergies or other problems that cause them to breathe through the mouth.

Correct Your Bite

When most people talk about an overbite or an under bite, they focus on the physical aspects of the deformity. However, both of these conditions can also affect a person’s ability to speak, to chew and to swallow food. If an overbite or an underbite is not treated promptly, it could result in headaches and could lead to a person developing TMJ. Since the cause and the severity of an underbite or an overbite varies from person to person, it is impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all solution. To determine the best course of treatment, our orthodontist would need to sit down with the patient, examine the position of their jaw, discuss habits and injuries that might have led to the jaw being out of alignment and then develop a customized treatment plan based on that. People make snap decisions about you based on your smile. If you have an upper front teeth protrusion, the opinions that they make about you may be incorrect. By consulting with our orthodontist at Blackburn & Elrod Orthodontics, you can be left with a smile that you will be proud of. We have offices in Independence and Blue Springs. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

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