What a bad bite can do

Patients tend to look at orthodontic treatment from a purely aesthetic point of view: they view correcting their position of the teeth as a way to make the smile better, which is great, but of no real medical importance. Nothing could be further from the truth, as an incorrect and badly fitting bite will cause all sorts of problems, from head and neck pains, to more frequent tooth decay and damage of the teeth and the soft tissues in the mouth. A well-fitting bite is one where the teeth lock together and fit into each other. If the teeth are not in position and they do not interlock, they become more difficult to clean and will cause all sorts of problems when loaded.

What can Go Wrong? 

Teeth 

If the teeth do not interlock, then they will scrape up against each other every single time you bite into something. This will cause the enamel to crack and become damaged, which will open up the possibility of tooth decay. The teeth that are damaged in this way are also more likely to break, crack or fracture, due to being loaded improperly.

Joints 

By having an improper bite, the jaws are taxed while chewing, and will be taxed more on one side, causing a very painful problem called TMJ syndrome, in which the joints that connect your lower jaw and your upper jaw are taxed way too much and start to hurt and act up. The jaw joints can start to pop, crack and make all sorts of weird noise, and you may experience pain in your ear and your inner ear.

Bones and muscles 

You can experience loss of bone density in your jawbones if you have an improper bite, as the constant loading of only one side of the jaws will cause the recession of bone matter in that area. This will cause the bones to become weak and malfunction, creating loose teeth and unhealthy gum tissues. The muscles will also be forced to compensate, and this can cause back and neck pains, along with pain in the facial muscles. This can get so bad that only a chiropractor can soothe the tensed up muscles.

Nerves 

The nerves inside the mouth can also be damaged due to an improper bite, leading to sensory deprivation in certain areas of the mouth, and a burning sensation from nerve damage. Be aware that nerves cannot be repaired, and once they are damaged, they just work improperly from then on.

Treatment

The way to avoid all of this is to correct your bite with orthodontic treatment. This kind of treatment will help you in many ways, and it will also improve your appearance and boost confidence, so it will have a positive effect on your social life as well. There is no wrong time or too late start in orthodontic treatment, so please, consult with an orthodontist today and see what it can do for you.