Orthodontic Disorders | Hoagburg Orthodontics

Crossbites

Crossbites can occur in the front and/or the sides of the mouth. Crossbites occur when the upper teeth are 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 because it can:

Cause premature wear of the teeth
Cause gum disease including bone loss
Cause asymmetrical development of the jaws
Cause dysfunctional chewing patterns
Make your smile less attractive

How can a crossbite be orthodontically corrected?

If there is a single tooth crossbite, the tooth can be moved with braces into the correct position. in some cases a retainer can be utilized. With multiple teeth in crossbite, the arch needs to be expanded with an expander.

This is what crossbite can look like:

Before		After

Openbite

An open bite occurs when there is an insufficient vertical overlap of the teeth. It is caused by oral habits such as tongue thrusting, finger sucking, or when the jaws do not grow evenly. Timing of treatment is critical to the overall success of the therapy.

How can an openbite be orthodontically corrected?

Open bite can be corrected through growth modification of the jaws using braces; extrusion of the front and anterior teeth; and in some cases surgical correction of the jaws. Also, discontinuing oral habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting, will facilitate the correction of an open bite.

This is what an openbite can look like:

Before		After

Overbite

Overbite occurs when the upper front teeth overlap completely over the lower front teeth. Often you cannot see the lower incisors. Overbite is due to a disproportionate amount of eruption of front teeth, or the 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.

Overbite should be corrected because it can:

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
Unusual wear of the lower front teeth
Cause jaw or joint problems
Make your smile less attractive

This is what an overbite can look like:

Before		After

How can an overbite be orthodontically corrected?

Overbite can be corrected through moving the front teeth up and/or bringing the back teeth together which will “open” the bite so the teeth are properly aligned and the deep bite is eliminated.

Overjet

Overjet is also known as protrusion. It is where 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 or finger sucking or tongue thrusting can exacerbate the condition.

Overjet should be corrected because it can:

Prevent proper functioning of the front teeth
Lead to premature wear
Make your smile less attractive

This is what overjet can look like:

Before		After

How can overjet be orthodontically corrected?

Overjet can be corrected by using growth modification appliances, elastics to reduce the skeletal imbalance, extraction of permanent teeth or in some cases, surgical correction of the jaws.

Underbite

The lower teeth protrude past the upper 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). Early correction of underbite is recommended

An underbite should be corrected because it can:

Prevent proper functioning of the front teeth or molars which can lead to premature wear of the teeth
Cause chewing or eating problems
Cause jaw or joint problems
Make your smile less attractive

This is what an underbite can look like:

Before		After

How can an underbite be orthodontically corrected?

Underbites can be corrected through growth modification of the jaws, extraction of teeth, and in some cases, surgical correction of the jaws.

Crowding

Crowding is the lack of space for all the teeth to fit normally within the jaws. The teeth may be twisted 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 can be caused by early or late loss of primary teeth, or improper eruption of teeth.

Crowding should be corrected because it can:

Prevent proper cleaning of all the surfaces of your teeth
Cause dental decay
Increase the changes of gum disease
Prevent proper functioning of teeth
Make your smile less attractive

This is what crowding can look like:

Before		After

How can crowding be orthodontically corrected?

Extra space can be created by expansion of the arches or extraction of teeth. Once space is created, braces will eliminate the crowding and align the teeth. Correction of crowding can help prevent dental decay and periodontal disease by improving the ability to remove plaque from the teeth.

Spacing

Spacing, the opposite of crowding, is an excess of space for your teeth, resulting in gaps between your teeth. This generally occurs when the teeth are smaller than the available space. Spacing can also be caused by protrusive teeth, missing or impacted teeth, or abnormal tissue attachments to the gums.

Spacing should be corrected because it can:

Result in gum problems due to the lack of protection by teeth
Prevent proper functioning of the teeth
Make your smile less attractive

This is what spacing of the teeth can look like:

Before		After

How can spacing of the teeth be orthodontically corrected?

The spaces can be closed with braces by moving the teeth together and properly aligning them within the arch.

Impacted Teeth

Impactions can be caused by improper positioning of the developing tooth bud. This can cause the tooth to fail to erupt into the mouth. Impactions can also be caused by early loss of primary teeth or crowding of teeth. Wisdom teeth are the most commonly impacted teeth, but canines and premolars are also commonly impacted.

This problem should be corrected because it can:

Cause damage to the root structure of adjacent teeth
Interfere with the sinus cavity
Leave unwanted spaces
Lead to improper functioning of the teeth
Cause premature wear of the teeth
Cause asymmetrical alignment of the teeth

This is what impacted teeth can look like:

Before		After

How can impacted teeth be orthodontically corrected?

Usually the impacted tooth is exposed by another dental professional and over the course months is brought into the correct position of the mouth by Dr. Hoagburg. Correction of impacted teeth may involve a minor surgical procedure performed by an oral surgeon working closely with our practice. This will allow us to then guide eruption of the impacted tooth into proper position.

Missing teeth

Missing teeth is the absence of a tooth or teeth that should normally be present. This can be caused by lack of development or trauma .