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In the ideal situation, our teeth would bite down in a very
specific way to optimize function and oral health:
The front teeth should form a gentle arch
The back teeth should be in a straight line, tangent to
the front arch
The top front teeth should be slightly in front of the bottom
front teeth
The top front teeth should bite down less than half the
length of the bottom front teeth
The back teeth should hit each other evenly on both sides
The top back teeth should be slightly behind the bottom
back teeth (Class I occlusion)
Unfortunately, our teeth are almost never naturally perfect.
This causes problems with chewing, oral hygiene, speaking
and esthetics.
Malocclusion, or 'bad bite', is often a genetic problem, that
is they may be inherited from their parents. They can also
be caused by thumb or finger-sucking, mouth breathing, dental
disease, abnormal swallowing, poor dental hygiene, the early
or late loss of baby teeth, accidents or poor nutrition. Trauma
and other medical conditions such as birth defects may contribute
to orthodontic problems as well. Sometimes an inherited malocclusion
is complicated by an acquired problem. Here are some common
problems that Dr. Molayem treats in his office:
Over-jet is when the upper front teeth protrude too face
out. This is unattractive because the lips often cannot touch.
Teeth are also prone to damage.
Crowding often occurs when the teeth are too big for the
arch (your mother's jaw and your father's teeth). These cases
are unattractive, difficult to clean, can cause bone damage,
gum recession and tooth fractures.
Under-bite is when the lower front teeth protrude beyond
the upper front teeth (Class III malocclusion). This is unattractive
because it leads to a convex facial profile; it also causes
uneven wear of the front teeth, fractures of front teeth and
even headaches from improper muscle use.
Over-bite is when the upper front teeth cover the lower
teeth. This conditions can cause excessive wear of the front
teeth and gum and bone damage behind the upper front teeth
that may eventually lead to loss of upper front teeth.
Open-bite occurs when the upper front and lower front teeth
don't meet when the back teeth are biting. This can be caused
by thumb-sucking or tongue thrusting. Open-bite leads to eating
problems, speech problems, and excessive wear of those teeth
which do meet; it is also very unattractive.
Cross-bite is when the upper jaw is too narrow causing the
lower jaw to either swing to one side to allow the teeth to
bite or causing both sides of the back teeth to bite the outside
of the top teeth instead of the inside. Our teeth are not
meant to take forces this way and so excessive fractures and
bone damage can be caused; also biting and chewing difficulties
can lead to frequent headaches.
Spacing can be caused by missing teeth or having teeth
too small for your arch (your mother's teeth and father's
jaw). This condition is unattractive and allows teeth to shift
out of position, tilt and rotate.
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