Your teeth play a key role to your overall dental health and well-being. Straight and white teeth can enhance your self-esteem and confidence. But teeth do not always grow straight. Achieving straight teeth and a balanced and healthy bite can take work and time. When your smile shows irregularity, it can affect aesthetics and cause deep dental problems. You have probably heard the word ‘underbite’, but what exactly is underbite treatment? An underbite, characterized by lower teeth protruding the upper, can broadly impact health and confidence. But you need not worry, several treatment options are available to fix the condition.
Here is a comprehensive guide on treating underbites. The blog will also cover various treatment options, prevention, and care. So, can overbite be fixed with braces? Yes, it can. Let’s explore myriad underbite treatment options!
An upper jaw expander is one of the most common underbite treatment options, especially for young children. Orthodontists place the appliance inside the mouth, which softly broadens the upper jaw over time. This creates more space for the upper teeth and aligns the lower and upper jaws. Widening the upper jaw assists in fixing the misalignment that a protruding upper jaw has caused. This treatment type is more effective when a kid is still growing, ideally between 7 and 12 years when the upper jaw bones are still developing.
Removable orthodontic appliances, also called functional appliances, softly apply pressure to the jaw area to promote healthy growth and development. The Herbst Appliance and the Twin Block Appliance are the two common devices that are mostly used for underbite treatment. Below are details of these functional devices:
Mini implants are small screws inserted into the jawbone to serve as an anchor for braces. Orthodontists use this treatment option to fix the position of the upper jaw and treat underbite conditions with class III malocclusion. Mini implants are used in combination with braces for underbites based on the severity of the condition.
As the name suggests, a facemask is a device that you wear on your face to fix bite issues. The device rests on your chin and forehead. Elastics attach your upper jaw to the device. The aim is to pull the upper jaw forward to realign both sections of your jaw. It is worn for a particular amount of time daily. The gradual pulling of the upper jaw forward helps fix the underbite. Facemask therapy is often used with other treatment options such as braces for underbites and other useful appliances.
The elastic underbite treatment is similar to the facemask therapy. Elastics are affixed to mini plates that anchor in the skull. They are placed inside the mouth to pull the upper jaw forward and create a proper balance. They are worn for a specific time daily and are attached to hooks or brackets on the teeth.
Braces are the most convenient option to treat underbites. They are the cornerstone of underbite treatment, often beginning in teenage years, but are also available for adults. They gradually pressurize the teeth, slowly realigning them and shifting the jaw to the right position. They are especially viable for patients with mild to moderate underbites. So, coming back to the question, can underbite be fixed with braces? The answer is definitely yes!
Below is a quick rundown of braces for underbite before and after.
Below is a quick breakdown of underbite treatment, prevention and care:
If the underbite has to be treated permanently, then getting a muscle friendly neauromuscular bite is essential. Wear a reprogamming orthotic for 3 months and then finish the treatment with braces/aligners.
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