Your bite is how your upper and lower teeth come together when you close your mouth. Your bite is incredibly important to the functionality and cosmetics of your smile.
Fortunately, a bad alignment doesn’t have to pose problems — Decatur Orthodontics can improve your bite!
What Do We Mean By “Bad Bite”?
Before we get into how Decatur Orthodontics can help, we should first discuss what a bad bite is.
A bad bite is when your teeth are not correctly aligned and can be called many things, depending on what is “incorrect” about it.
- An overbite is when the upper teeth stick out farther than your lower teeth.
- An open bite is when the top and bottom teeth do not connect when you bite down.
- An underbite is when the lower front teeth in your lower jaw stick out past the teeth in your upper jaw.
- A crossbite is when some or all teeth in your upper jaw fit inside the lower teeth.
- Overcrowding is when there is not enough space for your teeth, so they become pushed together.
- A misplaced midline bite is when the center of your upper front teeth doesn’t match with the center of your lower teeth.
Issues Caused By A Bad Bite
An improper bite can drastically affect your quality of life. Common complications include unwanted influence on the facial development of children, trouble chewing and swallowing, difficulty performing adequate oral hygiene, narrow air passageways, dry mouth, TMJ pain, migraines, challenges communicating, and abnormally quick wear and tear on the teeth. These issues can lead to weakened enamel, which leaves you vulnerable to tooth decay, gum disease, and teeth sensitivity. They can also create indigestion and heartburn.
If your symptoms become severe or are present long enough, you are at risk of developing anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
This is not an all-inclusive list, so please don’t hesitate to tell Dr. Francis any symptom you think might be relevant!
Treatment Options
Now that we know what a bad bite is, the importance of correct teeth alignment and the ability to open and close your jaw correctly, let’s review the treatment options that Decatur Orthodontics offers!
LightForce Clear Braces
LightForce braces are changing how people think about braces. Instead of the traditional metal brackets, LightForce braces use 3D printed brackets custom designed for every individual tooth! These personalized brackets allow for precise placement for less divergence and extra comfort. LightForce gives Dr. Francis complete control over the movement of your teeth, speeding along the process and preventing unnecessary discomfort.
The brackets are made of tooth-colored polycrystalline material. When paired with matching ligatures, they create the illusion of clear braces, giving you the benefits of metal braces with a subtle look.
They are great for bite correction because they have the option of accessories like spacers to help with overcrowding and orthodontic elastics that connect to the upper and lower braces to help with jaw correction.
Invisalign
Decatur Orthodontics is proud to offer the leading in-office brand of clear aligners to our patients. Every Invisalign tray is custom-made for your specific needs, offering you a snug, comfortable fit that is nearly invisible to onlookers. The removability of the trays gives you more freedom in your lifestyle than LightForce clear braces, which are bonded to the teeth using orthodontic glue. Your clear aligners need to be worn for twenty-two hours a day, but because you can remove them for eating, drinking, and oral hygiene, you can stick to your regular diet and routine. Though Invisalign does have accessories, this treatment option is best for patients who have milder correction needs.
Brava Hidden Braces
If you want a more discrete option than LightForce braces, but you have more complex bite needs than Invisalign helps with, or you simply don’t want to have to remember to wear your orthodontic appliance, we recommend our Brava Hidden Braces.
This treatment option sits behind the teeth, meaning no one will know you are in treatment unless you tell them! Brava Hidden Braces are unique not only in their placement but also in the way they don’t require brackets or wires! This special design gives Dr. Francis complete control over the movement of your teeth and minimizes the risk of unwanted shifts.
Brava Hidden Braces can treat bite concerns of varying severity with minimal intrusion into your lifestyle.
Children, teens, and adults can utilize all of our custom treatment options for comfortable, efficient, and fast results!
Decatur Orthodontics Can Help Your Bite!
We are proud and honored to be continuously trusted to serve our community year after year, and we love getting to watch your smile transform throughout treatment.
Decatur Orthodontics has everything your entire family needs to see life-changing results. Schedule a zero-commitment free consultation to get you and your loved ones started on your orthodontic journey! Dr. Francis and his team look forward to seeing you soon!
