What is malocclusion

Malocclusion simply means the upper and lower teeth are misaligned. This can include overcrowding, buck teeth, spacing, and impacted teeth. It's types include:

1. Overcrowding: This is a very common malocclusion, often caused by not enough space in the mouth. Hence, the teeth are crowded to the point that they overlap and become crooked.
2. Overjet: Overjet is when your top teeth stick out over your bottom teeth horizontally. It’s often confused with an overbite, but it’s not the same thing. Overjet can lead to teeth damage as well as problems eating or speaking.
3. Overbite: It’s natural for your upper teeth to slightly overlap your lower front teeth, but if the overlap is severe, it can cause your top teeth to bite down into your gums.
4. Crossbite: With a crossbite, your upper teeth bite down on the inner part of your lower teeth. This can occur on one or both sides of your mouth and can affect either one or both your front and back teeth.
5. Anterior Crossbite (Underbite): When you have a crossbite that affects just your front teeth, it’s called an anterior crossbite or an underbite.
6. Spacing: You can have spacing because of missing teeth, small-than-normal teeth, thumb, sucking, or tongue thrusting.
7. Diastema: A diastema is another name for a space between your teeth. In most cases, it’s the front teeth. A lot of times, this is not a problem besides it being an aesthetical preference.
8. Impacted Teeth: When a tooth is unable to erupt (i.e. grown in) properly, that’s known as an impacted tooth. Sometimes, it may require a tooth removal or braces.

Causes of Malocclusions:

Malocclusions are most often inherited, but may be acquired. Inherited conditions include too many or too few teeth, too much or too little space between teeth, irregular mouth and jaw size and shape, and atypical formations of the jaws and face, such as a cleft palate. Malocclusions may be acquired from habits like finger or thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, premature loss of teeth from an accident or dental disease, and possibly from medical conditions such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids that lead to mouth breathing.

Malocclusions may cause no symptoms, or they may produce pain from the increased stress on oral structures. Teeth may show abnormal signs of wear on the chewing surfaces or decay in areas of tight overlap. Chewing may be difficult.

Diagnosis and treatment:

Malocclusion of teeth is evaluated by a dentist who would perform some routine examinations and tests. The dentist may pull your cheek outward and may ask you to bite down so as to check how well your back teeth come together. In case there is any noticeable problem you may be referred to an orthodontist for further diagnosis and treatment. Investigations like dental X-rays, head and skull X-rays or the facial X-rays may be ordered to confirm malocclusion of teeth and presence of any related condition. Usually diagnostic models of the teeth are mostly needed to diagnose the problem of malocclusion of teeth.

Usually mild cases of malocclusion of teeth do not require treatments. However, in other cases, treatments are essential. There are various ways to treat malocclusion of teeth. Some of which are mentioned below:

1. Using Braces and other appliances: You may require placing metal bands around some teeth, or metal, ceramic, plastic bonds etc. are attached to the surface of the teeth as a commonest treatment of malocclusion of teeth. In some cases, wires or springs apply force to the teeth. Invisalign or clear braces may also be used for treating malocclusion of teeth in some patients. There are various types of braces which can be used.

1. Removing one or more affected teeth: In case, there is the issue of overcrowding of teeth, removal of one or more teeth is one of the treatments of malocclusion of teeth.
2. Repairing irregular or rough teeth: In some cases of malocclusion of teeth, the teeth can be repaired, like adjusted down, reshaped, capped or bonded. It is required to repair the misshapen restorations and dental appliances.
3. Surgical treatments for malocclusion of teeth: One of the treatments for malocclusion of teeth also includes the surgery. Surgical reshaping is done to lengthen or shorten the jaw and is known as orthognatic surgery. Though this is rarely required. There may be use of wires, screws or plates for stabilizing the jaw bone while the treating procedure.

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