Appearance: An overbite can be visually unappealing and alter your facial profile. Gum Damage: The top teeth and rub against the gums of the lower teeth, causing gum recession. The lower teeth can rub on the roof of the mouth leading to discomfort.
If you have an overbite over four millimeters, you should get it fixed. Your lower teeth are not visible when you smile or talk. Many people find this unattractive, which can harm your personal and professional life. More significantly, an overbite can cause significant pain.
The Issues Associated With an Overbite
While an overbite certainly results in a less attractive face and is often associated with other aesthetic issues like crowding of the teeth, it also negatively affects the function of the mouth, jaw and airway.
Overbite
It seems that the development of overbite coincides with the invention of the fork, and since then it has become a characteristic of teeth that we consider attractive. Of course, too much of an overbite can be just as unattractive as no overbite or an underbite.
Both overbites and underbites are typically considered unattractive traits, but both can be corrected with braces, MTM clear aligners, or oral surgery.
Do overbites get worse with age? The space between the upper and lower front teeth can increase over time, worsening the overbite. In addition to this, the long-term effects of a deep overbite will cause more problems over time, meaning additional restorative treatment may be required.
An overbite is a completely normal occurrence. Nearly everybody has one. But, when your overbite is too small or too large, you may encounter problems. One problem is when your overbite is distinct.
An overbite will thrust your lips forward. The more pronounced your overbite is, the more your lips will puff out. If you like having full lips that form an attractive pout, you may be concerned about braces if they are going to change the appearance of your lips.
Having a severe overbite can cause your top lip to protrude, which is an unattractive look and feel. Overbite can also make your lower lip appear bigger, depending on the severity of your overbite.
A pronounced overbite may lead to a weak chin and a weak jawline. Age might, too. Over time, your jawline tends to become less pronounced and may even start to recede.
In reality, having crooked teeth or a misaligned bite can have lasting effects on your overall oral health. So, what if you have an overbite? Fixing your overbite, or any kind of malocclusion for that matter, will not only beautify your smile, but it will also prevent dental problems in the future!
In many cases, orthodontic intervention is the best way to fix an overbite. Treatment options like braces are an effective way to correct an overbite, as well as clear aligners or upper jaw expanders.
What happens if I don't treat it? If left untreated, an overbite could cause significant health complications. These include irreparable damage to teeth from abnormal positioning and possible jaw pain including temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ).
Those with a normal bite were rated as more attractive, intelligent, agreeable, and extraverted, versus those with an underbite who received more negative ratings in each category.
One thing to remember is that having a slight overbite is normal because the shape of the human skull naturally allows for the upper teeth to extend beyond the lower teeth. During checkups, your dentist should measure your overbite and underbite and consult with you if they suspect any issues.
Conditions such as overbite, gapped teeth, and overcrowding can create a variety of problems with speaking. Additionally, whistling sounds, lisping, and the general distortion of letter sounds can make it challenging for others to understand you clearly.
Facial Structure Altered by an Overbite
An overbite often gives the patient a recessive chin which makes their face look shorter and rounder and can make them appear older than they are. With orthodontic treatment the jaw's position changes because the chin comes forward and the face looks longer and narrower.
No, orthodontic treatment, including Invisalign and braces, does not directly impact your nose or lengthen your face. The reason people occasionally think their nose looks different after braces or their face seems to have lengthened is about the angles.
Your teeth affect your appearance, not just your smile. Patients with an overbite, or prior history of an overbite, are predisposed to having a double chin (i.e. submental fullness). The lower jaw bone in patients with an overbite will often be relatively too small, and subsequently the chin is weak or recessive.
Yes, fixing an overbite can change the shape of your face. Overbites make your face look asymmetric. Furthermore, they can cause discomfort, and they may also affect speech and make wearing dentures difficult.
Individuals with overbite appear to have an undefined chin and jawline. When you look at their profile, you'll often note that the upper lip appears to be protruding from the face. However, braces bring the bite into position and help improve the jawline for patients.
Most abnormal bite issues, such as overbite, are evident in children as young as 6- to 7-years-old, and correction is usually done between the ages of 8- to 14-years-old. This is the optimal time to adjust a bite issue, as the bones are still growing and can be more easily manipulated by your orthodontist.
Yes, everyone has a slight overbite. All humans have the slightest overbite because it is necessary to chew correctly. However, the degree to your overbite can be minimal or severe. One can usually see the degree of an individual's overbite by looking at them smile.
Inherited Overbite
Crooked teeth and misaligned bites are dental traits that are often inherited from your genetic background. If you have an overbite, you were likely born with it, rather than developing it during your lifetime.