Common Orthodontic Problems & Solutions

Crowding

• Crowding is the lack of space for all the teeth to fit normally within the jaws.

• The teeth may be rotated or displaced.

• Crowding occurs when there is disharmony in the tooth to jaw size relationship

• Or when the teeth are larger than the available space.

  Crowding should be corrected because it may:

• prevent proper cleaning of all the surfaces of your teeth

• lead to dental decay, due to difficulty cleaning plaque from surfaces of teeth

• increase the chances of gum disease

• prevent proper functioning of teeth causing premature wear and attrition of surfaces

• in certain cases of severe crowding – serial extraction may be recommended for your child in Phase I treatment, see a step-by-step visual:

Spacing

• Spacing (the opposite of crowding), is an excess of space for your teeth which result\ in gaps between your teeth. This generally occurs when the teeth are smaller than the available space.

  Spacing should be corrected because it may:

• create food traps, making hygiene difficult

• result in gum problems due to plaque build up over time (gingivitis & periodontitis)

• prevent proper functioning of the teeth

Overbite

• An overbite occurs when the upper front teeth protrude over the lower front teeth. Generally there is no contact between the upper and lower front teeth. Often you cannot see the lower incisors.

• Overbite is due to a disproportionate amount of eruption of front teeth or over development of the bone that supports the teeth and a front to back discrepancy in the growth of the upper or lower jaw (Class II Relationship). Overbite is also known as a deep bite.

  An overbite should be corrected because it may:

• cause improper functioning of your front teeth

• result in the lower front teeth biting into the gum tissue of the upper palate leading to tissue problems over time

• unusual wear of the front teeth causing dental and periodontal problems over time

• cause jaw or joint problems (TMD)

Overjet

An overjet is also known as protrusion. In this case, the lower teeth are too far behind the upper front teeth. This can be caused by an improper alignment of the molars (Class II Relationship), a skeletal imbalance of the upper and lower jaw; flared upper incisors, missing lower teeth or a combination of all the above.

In addition, oral habits such as thumb sucking, finger sucking or tongue thrusting can exacerbate the condition.

An Overjet should be corrected because it can:

• prevent proper functioning of the front teeth

• increase the likelihood of trauma to the protruded teeth

• lead to premature wear

Underbite

The lower teeth protrude past the front teeth. An underbite is usually caused by undergrowth of the upper jaw, overgrowth of the lower jaw, or a combination of the two (Class III Relationship). Underbite can also be caused by flared upper incisors, missing lower teeth or a combination of all the above. Early correction of underbite is recommended.

An underbite should be corrected because it can:

• result in dental/skeletal development anomalies

• prevent proper functioning of the teeth

• lead to premature wear of the teeth

• cause chewing or eating problems 

• cause jaw or joint problems

Crossbite

A crossbite can occur in the front and/or the sides of the mouth: One or more upper teeth bite on the inside of the lower teeth. This can occur with a single tooth or multiple teeth. Early correction of a crossbite is recommended.

A crossbite should be corrected early because it can:

• cause premature wear of the teeth

• cause gum disease including bone loss

• cause asymmetrical development of the teeth & jaws

• cause dysfunctional chewing patterns

• prevent proper functioning of the teeth

• lead to premature wear of the teeth

Openbite

An openbite is an insufficient vertical overlap of the teeth. It can be caused by oral habits such as tongue thrust, digit or thumb sucking or when the jaws don’t grow evenly.

Timing of treatment and early correction of the habit is critical to the overall success of therapy.

Impacted teeth

Impactions can be caused by improper positioning of the developing tooth- this can cause the tooth to fail to erupt properly inside the mouth. Impactions can also be caused by early loss of a baby tooth or by crowded teeth. 

See a step-by-step visual:

Premature loss of primary (baby) teeth

In some cases your child’s baby teeth may be lost prematurely due to trauma, decay or another developmental or environmental influence.

Depending on the stage of development your child is in, the loss of the baby teeth can cause future problems such as loss of space for the adult teeth to erupt into (leading to future crowding and malocclusion) or delayed development or impaction of the adult teeth.