Miami and Coral Gables, FL
A bad bite is characterized when your jaw is uneven. Teeth may jet forward, causing an overbite or the lower jaw may excessively protrude causing an under bite.
Aesthetics is not the only concern when it comes to a bad bite. Your mouth is designed to work as a unit. Even a slightly uneven bite can cause dental problems. Some patients may be unaware of their uneven bite but ignoring the problem is not ideal. A bad bite can cause problems with your bones and nerves of the jaw, head, and neck, as well as cosmetic and functional issues.
Symptoms of a bad bite include chipped, fractured, or broken teeth, pain in your teeth, jaw, head, or neck, headaches, muscle spasms, or worn down teeth. If a bad bite is left untreated, it can even lead to tooth loss, interfere with swallowing, cause premature aging, and damage or deteriorate the jaw joint. The pain some patients experience from their bad bite can be so severe that it interferes with their lives.
The cause of a bad bite varies for each patient. Common causes include natural anatomy, missing teeth, trauma or injury to the face, or by tongue thrust, which is an oral myofacial disorder. Tongue thrust means your mouth muscles, including your tongue, are not resting in their proper position. As the tongue continues applying force and pressure to the backs of your teeth, your teeth begin to shift, causing an uneven bite.
What is a patient to do if they have a bad bite? Luckily, we offer options that not only get rid of your pain or discomfort but also correct what is causing your bad bite. Some patients simply benefit from restorative dentistry as means of replacing their missing teeth, while others may require more extensive repair, such as orthodontics.
For patients suffering from tongue thrust, oral myofacial therapy has proven to be beneficial. Oral myofacial therapy is essentially physical therapy for your mouth, in which we use various muscle exercises to retrain how your tongue moves and rests. Patients with no teeth at all can also suffer from a bad bite. When all their teeth are missing their bite collapses. If this is the case for you, we can design new dentures for you that focus on the neuromuscular aspect of your bite.
At Miami Designer Smiles, we offer a variety of treatments to help alleviate your symptoms and the cause of your bad bite. We encourage you not to ignore this issue, as it leads to irreversible damage to your oral health and even affect your overall health as well. To schedule a consultation, contact Miami Designer Smiles today. We welcome patients of Coral Gables and Miami, Florida.