However you take care of your teeth, there are certain genetically inherited dental problems, where nothing can be done to prevent them. An under-bite is one of them.

When the lower jaw extrudes forward than the upper jaw and the child lower teeth are seen in front over the upper teeth, then it is said to be an under-bite condition. The level of misalignment can be mild to severe. Under-bites are not very common, few population get it and there are associated long term inconveniences for them.

Appearance: Since under-bites are not so common when compared to overbite, people who have them tend to be noticed more and become very self-conscious. A protruding chin is seen very obviously, which makes the appearance so noticeable by the surrounding people.

Speech: The upper and lower teeth has to get aligned properly in order to make certain sounds like “f” and “s”. When the teeth don’t occlude properly and align, coming up with certain pronunciations become difficult or impossible for them. This affects the children especially if at teenage or adolescent years.

Smile: Since the lower lip is dominant, when they try to smile, it still looks like the lower lip is too far away, and big giving a droopy smile appearance. They can’t smile normally as people with competent lips.

Chewing: A simple activity like chewing also becomes difficult when the teeth are misaligned. People with severe under-bites are at an increased risk for choking, because they can’t properly chew their food before swallowing.

Jaw Pain: Jaw movement occurs on talking, chewing, yawning etc. Whenever the jaw closes, the teeth alignment tries to happen inadvertently. This will happen whether you realize it or not. There is a constant movement of jaw happening trying to align the teeth. When this happen, it leads to high pressure on the joint leading to headache and jaw pain. People with under-bite conditions are more prone to developing TMJ pain as a result of the excess pressure applied by the jaw movements.

Recommended methods of correcting an under-bite

Many people presume surgery is the only option, but that is not the case. If the condition is diagnosed at a young age there are several options available before considering surgery.

Upper jaw expander: It’s a plate like device given to expand the palatal bone at the growing stage. As the palate expands on activation, there is more space created in the upper arch bringing the jaw alignment.

Reverse Pull Face Mask: This face mask attaches to metal bands on the back of the upper teeth to pull the upper jaw forward so it’s in line with the lower jaw.

Chin Cap: This device wraps around the chin and lower jaw to prevent it from growing and expanding out even further. This is targeting at the growing phase of the child.

Braces and veneers: Traditional braces may be used to correct mild under-bites. Veneers may also be placed on the upper teeth in mild under-bite cases, so that top and bottom teeth align.

If correction is not achieved in any of these methods, then its best to consider surgery. Surgery is always followed by braces to get the teeth alignment done.

Book an appointment with us at Oris dental center for enquiries and clarifications.

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