What is open bite and how is it treated?
Open bite is a type of malocclusion. This means that when the upper and lower jaws are closed, the teeth are not aligned properly and are not in a normal position. Normally, the front teeth of the upper jaw are about 2 to 3 mm ahead of the front teeth of the lower jaw, and they cover them to some extent. But in open bite, due to some reasons and problems, the distance between the upper and lower jaw teeth in the front and front part of the mouth is too normal.
Causes of open bite
Open bite will usually be created following the following 4 situations:
- Big toe or pacifier sucking: Some children disturb the natural alignment and harmony between their front teeth by sucking too much on their fingers, pencils, pacifiers and any other hard material.
- Pressure caused by the tongue: placing the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth for a long time can cause the formation of an open bite.
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD or TMJ): TMJ disorders cause chronic jaw pain. The movements of the tongue and putting pressure on the teeth in this disorder can be another reason for the formation and opening of the bite.
- Skeletal problem: Skeletal problems often have a genetic origin. In this situation, the jaws do not grow properly and in harmony from the beginning, as a result, many problems arise for the mouth and teeth. One of the problems caused by scoliosis can be open bite.
Open bite treatment
Various treatments are available to solve this problem. Dental specialists will provide solutions for open bite treatment based on factors such as the age of the individual or the type of their teeth (milk or permanent). In general, the following 3 methods are solutions to treat this problem:
- Behavior modification and change of period
- Use of movable and fixed orthodontic tools
- surgery
If you notice that your child has an open bite, take him to a dentist or orthodontist. First of all, by talking directly with children, dentists encourage them to change their habits and behavior. If children follow the dentist’s recommendations and stop sucking their finger or other tools, their problem will be solved over time.
If children’s permanent teeth have erupted but are not fully developed, it is still possible to solve the child’s problem by managing the situation and changing the child’s habits and behavior.
But if the permanent teeth are fully grown and the open bite has not yet been treated, people will need orthodontic treatment. The orthodontist will try to solve the problem with the help of special orthodontic tools.
For people whose permanent teeth are fully erupted, a combination of braces and behavior modification is often recommended. In severe cases, jaw surgery may be performed to move the upper jaw along with the palate. In this method, screws are used.
Other treatments include using an appliance to limit the tongue’s ability to press on the front teeth.
Why should we treat open bite?
Perhaps the most common reason that prompts people to seek treatment for this problem is the concern of disfiguring the face. Because this problem affects the beauty and natural shape of the face. Other reasons for open bite treatment include:
- Difficulty in speaking and pronouncing some words: Openbite can interfere with speaking and pronouncing some words or letters. For example, they whistle when pronouncing the letters s, s and s.
- Difficulty eating: This problem can also prevent biting and chewing food properly.
- Excessive wear of posterior or back teeth: the farther the front teeth are from each other, the more pressure the back teeth put on each other, and their wear and tear increases. This problem can lead to breakage or other problems in the teeth.
If you experience any of these complications or discomfort related to this problem, be sure to talk to an orthodontist.
Vision
Open bite can be treated at any age. But it should be noted that the best age for treatment is when the permanent teeth have not yet fully grown. Because this problem can be treated with less pain and cost.
Children with an open bite should have a dental evaluation starting around age 7. This age is perhaps the most appropriate age to start some measures, including behavior modification, to prevent progress and increase the distance between the front teeth in the upper and lower jaw.
For adults, treatment is more complicated. You may need a combination of behavioral and orthodontic (such as braces) or even jaw surgery.
