Some Dental Issues That Houston Braces Can Correct

Houston braces are a good idea if you have a malocclusion, which means your bite isn’t ideal and risks being detrimental to your health. An unideal bite is one that consists of crooked teeth, crowded teeth, extra teeth, or even an overbite or an underbite. Although some of our patients may be familiar with crooked and crowded teeth, others may not know much about overbites and underbites. Here is how they can be identified and what problems arise from them. 

Overbite

An overbite often presents itself as “buck teeth” and is one of the most common reasons our south Houston dentist patients need braces. This type of bite occurs in patients whose upper jaw–and consequently, upper teeth–protrude further outward than the bottom jaw and teeth. Now, to be clear, we want some overlap, as this prevents your enamel from wearing abnormally. In doing so, your teeth are stronger and better protected against cavities.

How Does Having an Overbite Affect Your Teeth?

An overbite can easily cause you to have difficulties speaking, much like other malocclusions. Overbites have also been known to cause difficulty with chewing. This is because many of our patients with overbites regularly deal with biting their tongues and cheeks when they try to chew their food. Overbites may also damage your gums and your other teeth because of the improper bite pattern. How severe your overbite is will dictate how severe these side effects are, but thankfully our metal braces and ceramic Houston braces can correct this.

Underbite

A patient has an underbite when their lower teeth tend to protrude outward and are further out than the upper front teeth. You might compare this to a bulldog’s teeth. Because of the abnormal alignment of the teeth, this can cause cosmetic insecurities as well as other dental health problems.

How Does Having an Underbite Affect Your Teeth?

Some underbites are rather minor, but others may be severe. Similar to an overbite, though, the more severe the underbite, the more severe the problems. 

Underbites make it harder for you to chew because the jaws are not clasping around food like they are supposed to. Another problem that results from an underbite is that this makes it harder for you to speak properly. The worst issue that can occur is that you experience pain in your mouth and face due to your misaligned jaws. If unaddressed, the pain can worsen and disrupt your day-to-day.

Houston Braces at Centra Dental in South Houston Correct Bad Bites

These are common reasons why our patients need dental braces. If you or your child have a bad bite, then please book an appointment with our South Houston family dentist. We will complete an evaluation to determine which kind of braces are best for your unique case.