In adulthood, it’s common to see teeth begin to crowd toward the center of the mouth. It’s best to contact Burlingame Smile Studio with any concerns and to discuss your options for treatment. A normal bite may also shift with poor alignment because of a missing tooth. But it’s reassuring to know that no matter how old you are, orthodontic treatment is available as a solution, provided your teeth and gums are healthy. It’s essential to remember to wear a prescribed retainer after orthodontic treatment to help preserve the results.
Abnormal eruption
This occurs is when a tooth pushes through the gum in the wrong place. If it is impacted, an oral surgical procedure may be needed to uncover the tooth before any treatment starts.
Crossbite
This is when one or more of the upper teeth bites inside the lower teeth rather than outside. This is usually related to misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. In a child who is still growing, widening the upper jaw with an orthodontic appliance called a palatal expander may solve the problem.
Crowding
It results from limited space for teeth to fit in the jaw space, because teeth are too large, or the jaw is too small. Solutions can include extracting teeth or making more room in the jaw with an expander or via surgery.
Excessive spacing
Too much spacing may result when teeth fail to grow in or are lost to trauma or disease. It’s important to close the gaps since excessive space causes nearby teeth to shift out of position also.
Open bite
This occurs when the upper and lower front teeth do not touch when biting, resulting in an open space. This is often the result of tongue thrusting or prolonged thumb sucking.
Overbite
An overbite occurs when the upper front teeth bite too far over the lower teeth. Occasionally this bite is so deep that the upper teeth can cover over the lower teeth, forcing them to poke into the roof of the mouth. This can result in a discrepancy in jaw size.
Overjet
Overjet happens if the upper front teeth extend too far forward or lower teeth don’t extend far enough forward. This can be related to genetics, improper jaw growth, missing lower teeth, or incorrect alignment.
Underbite
It happens when the lower front teeth extend out past the upper front teeth and can be the result of overdevelopment of the lower jaw or underdevelopment of the upper jaw. Depending on the seriousness, treatment can involve traditional orthodontics or jaw surgery.
Contact Burlingame Smile Studio, serving Burlingame, Hillsborough, and Millbrae.
(650) 231-2680
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1740 Marco Polo Way Ste 12
Burlingame, California
94010
