Orthodontic problems can be caused when your teeth and jaws don’t quite meet properly. This is a condition that is called malocclusion and comes from the words “mal” (badly) and “occlude (too close).

Common Causes of Orthodontic Problems

1. Dental Malocclusion

Dental malocclusion occurs when your teeth are spread out too much, out of line, or even crowded.

2. Skeletal Malocclusion

Skeletal malocclusion occurs when your jaw is either too small or too big for your teeth, or when one jaw does not properly line up with the other.

3. Hereditary Orthodontic Problems

There is the possibility that a malocclusion can be hereditary. You could have inherited a large jaw from one parent and small teeth from another which causes the teeth and jaws to be misaligned. What’s more, malocclusions can be the result of poor oral hygiene or bad habits like biting your finger nails or sucking your thumb.

Common Orthodontic Problems

Some of the most common orthodontic problems seen within first orthodontic visits include:

• Openbite – the lower front teeth and upper teeth do not overlap, causing an issue with chewing and tongue thrusting.
• Underbite – this occurs when your lower jaw extends out and the lower front teeth then have to sit in front of the upper teeth.
• Crossbite – your upper teeth sit inside your lower teeth, causing a misaligned jaw.
• Overbite – this happens when your upper front teeth extend over the lower teeth which can cause the lower teeth to bite up into your mouth.
• Crowding – this happens when your teeth don’t have enough room to erupt from your gum. Often, the crowding can be corrected by expansion to avoid tooth removal.
• Wide spaces – spacing issues may be caused by missing teeth or they can simply be a cosmetic issue.
• Protrusion – this occurs when your upper teeth extend significantly forward, or your lower teeth don’t extend far enough forward.
• Misaligned dental midlines – this issue is caused when your back bite doesn’t fit properly and can adversely impact your jaw and dental function.

Choose a specialist orthodontist to assess your orthodontic problems and suggest the appropriate solution for you. Contact Profile Orthodontics to book an appointment.