What problems can occur if I neglect my overbite? <Cases with crowding>

Hello.

I am Dr. Son Su-min, an orthodontic specialist who has been practicing at Guardians Dental Myeongdong for 20 years.

My upper teeth cover my lower teeth too much. When I smile or speak, my lower teeth are almost invisible

Among the patients who visit our dental clinic, some come for consultation due to problems such as deep overbite or protruding lips.

At this time, it's not just the visible front teeth that need to be checked, but also whether the molars are occluding normally.

This patient also had a combination of deep overbite, overjet, and scissors bite on both sides of the molars.

Today, I will explain through a real case how we diagnose and plan treatment for such complex occlusal problems.

Photos of the patient at the time of visit

In this case, deep overbite and scissors bite of the second molars on both sides, as well as insufficient space for tooth arrangement, were confirmed.

Therefore, it was important to adjust not only the front teeth but also the deep overbite and molar occlusion to ensure the overall stability of the occlusion.

Why orthodontic treatment was needed

1. Deep overbite, where the upper teeth deeply overlap the lower teeth.

Deep overbite can lead to tooth wear, gum damage, and even temporomandibular joint problems and aesthetic imbalance over time.

1. Scissors bite

This is a scissors bite that occurred on the second molars on the left and right sides of the upper jaw.

This is an occlusal state where the upper teeth completely cover or do not touch the lower teeth, resulting in decreased chewing function and potentially causing temporomandibular joint problems in the long run.

In such cases, we recommend orthodontic treatment for functional stability.

1. Overcrowding and insufficient space

As can be seen in the photo of the lower jaw occlusal surface, there was insufficient space for tooth arrangement, resulting in severe overcrowding and tooth overlap.

The dental arch also had a narrow, hourglass shape, rather than a gentle U-shape.

1. Overjet

When the upper teeth deeply overlap the lower teeth, the lower front teeth constantly stimulate the gums, which can lead to functional problems such as gum damage.

To put it simply,

This concept is an important criterion for analyzing tooth conditions during orthodontic treatment, so it would be helpful for patients to understand it during orthodontic consultations.

Overbite Treatment Process

Extracting a lower premolar is not just for securing space to align teeth.

This patient had both upper front tooth protrusion and overbite, so it was not enough to just move the upper front teeth back.

Even after the upper front teeth moved back, it was necessary to adjust the arrangement, position, and angle of the lower front teeth to create a stable bite.

So, we used the space secured by extracting the lower premolar to arrange the lower front teeth without difficulty and adjusted the front and back positions and vertical overlap of the upper and lower front teeth.

In particular, overbite patients need to carefully manage the direction of movement and torque of the front teeth during the process of closing the extraction space, as excessive inward tilting or downward eruption of the front teeth can worsen the deep bite.

At the same time, we also improved the scissors bite of the molars.

It was not just a matter of moving the front teeth back, but

we adjusted the width and inclination of the left and right molar areas so that the upper and lower molars could functionally occlude.

As a result, it was a process of adjusting the position of the protruding front teeth, relieving the horizontal overlap, and stabilizing the molar bite.

Appearance after Overbite Orthodontic Treatment

After orthodontic treatment, the deep overbite and horizontal and vertical overlap were adjusted, and the scissors bite of the molars, which did not occlude normally, was also improved.

We focused on stabilizing the overall tooth arrangement and occlusal relationship by utilizing the space secured by extracting the lower premolar to move the front teeth back.

In Conclusion

Today, we looked at a case where overbite, underbite, and insufficient spacing occurred together.

The key to this treatment was not just straightening the teeth, but utilizing the space secured by extracting a small tooth to control the direction and angle of the front teeth, and also improving the deep bite and molar occlusion.

Orthodontic problems often do not occur alone,

but rather as a combination of multiple issues.

Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the current condition of the teeth and gums, the vertical and horizontal relationship of the front teeth, and the occlusion of the molars, and create a comprehensive treatment plan.

If you are considering orthodontic treatment, we recommend that you consult with a specialist who can diagnose not only the arrangement of the teeth but also the overall occlusion in detail.

Thank you for reading to the end.

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NAutomatically translated from the Korean post on our Naver blog. Read the original ↗