Your teeth are designed to fit together comfortably. Your upper and lower jaws align to help you bite, chew, and talk with ease — but having a dental malocclusion, like an overbite, could change the way your mouth works and compromise your oral health.
Overbites typically develop as the result of overcrowding or tongue thrusting. Over time, your upper teeth protrude out too far in front of your lower teeth and change the look of your smile.
Also referred to as buck teeth, overbites are one of the most common malocclusions and a source of embarrassment for many people.
Buck teeth can make you want to hide your smile, but having an overbite could cause some serious health consequences too. Walied Touni, DDS, MSD, and our orthodontic team at Touni Orthodontics in Sunnyvale, California, specialize in diagnosing and treating overbites, so you can enjoy your healthiest, happiest smile.
Like many orthodontic issues, overbites range in severity. Mild overbites may be a primarily aesthetic concern, or you may not even know you have one. On the other hand, severe overbites can have a significant, lasting impact on your oral health.
Dr. Touni is a board-certified orthodontist, and he’s an expert in evaluating the severity of your condition. Some of the complications he looks for during your overbite evaluation are:
Having an overbite could make normal mouth function difficult. When your top front teeth overlap and cover the bottom ones too much, you could experience speech problems, mouth breathing, and difficulty chewing.
Jaw and tooth misalignments can make you overcompensate when chewing and talking, eventually leading to facial pain. If you have a severe overbite, it could cause discomfort when biting or chewing, headaches, and even lead to jaw joint problems like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.
An overbite can cause excessive wear on your teeth, gums, and palate — and this is one of the more serious risks of leaving your overbite untreated.
When you have a significant overbite, your upper front teeth can wear down your lower front teeth. Your lower teeth may also rub against the gums behind your upper teeth, causing gum recession and increasing your risk of decay.
Last but not least, an overbite can change the shape of your mouth and your profile. Even a small overbite can be a source of embarrassment, but more significant overbites can dramatically affect the appearance of your face and your confidence.
Overbites can compromise your oral health, but orthodontic treatment can perfect your smile. Dr. Touni is a board-certified orthodontist, and our team has worked with countless patients of all ages to treat overbites.
There are a few different orthodontic treatment options to fix overbites, and Dr. Touni works with you to choose the best option for your needs. He may recommend:
Your treatment may include a combination of therapies to realign your jaw and straighten your teeth. To find out more about treatment options for overbites, schedule a consultation at Touni Orthodontics today. Call our office at 408-412-5249 or request an appointment online now.
