Deep bite - symptoms and treatment

A deep bite is a developmental anomaly of the oral cavity in which the upper incisors almost completely overlap the lower ones. It not only distorts the proportions of the face, but can also cause speech disorders, increased tooth wear and trauma to soft tissues. Pathology can be detected both in early childhood and in adulthood. Treatment depends on the severity, but most often involves braces, plates, or orthodontic surgery.

Signs of a deep bite

Signs depend on the severity of the abnormality.

Mild degree

Often the patient does not notice the external manifestations of the pathology, because with a mild degree, the abnormal bite may not even distort facial features and speech. The main signs are small chips and microcracks of the upper front teeth.

Average degree

In addition to small cracks and chips, the following violations appear:

• increased abrasion of the enamel of the upper teeth on the inside;
• difficulties in pronouncing the sound “s”;
• the lower third of the face visually moves away, its height decreases;
• the act of biting is distorted, which leads to disruption of the entire chewing process;
• problems in the functioning of the temporomandibular joint (clicking, crunching and sometimes pain; it is difficult for the patient to open his mouth wide);
• the lips close unaesthetically - the lower or upper lips come forward strongly.

Severe degree

The most severe consequences of improper jaw development manifest themselves, namely:

1. Violations of facial proportions.

   Often such distortions are called a “bird” face, when the chin goes back strongly and the upper lip hangs excessively over the lower lip. The lower third of the face is also reduced.

2. Trauma to the palate.

   Due to the distal bite, the lower incisors reach the upper palate. Soft tissues are subject to mechanical friction not only during eating, but also at rest.

3. Deformation of the upper jaw.

   The upper teeth protrude forward, and the distribution of the load during chewing becomes completely uneven.

What prevents you from smiling beautifully with teeth naturally?

Some people think - what’s the point of learning to smile beautifully with teeth if you don’t apply it in life? There are a number of very good reasons why a person, regardless of age, quite rightly does not smile with teeth. But sometimes it’s just a fictitious problem. How to learn to smile naturally with teeth? First, let's look at what prevents us from doing this:

• Curvature of tooth growth. Pay attention to the smile of Keira Knightley, a world-class star. She has covered this issue more than once and is 100% sure that if the teeth are healthy and do not have significant defects, they do not need to be sawed, straightened and abused on your jaw. Look at your smile carefully - perhaps you have exaggerated your colors too much. No? Then it’s worth visiting a dentist, because you can straighten your teeth at any age;
• Rotten teeth, tartar, missing teeth . A really good reason to temporarily not show your teeth when smiling, unlike Dmitry Dibrov, who is so confident in himself that he does not consider these shortcomings significant enough to hide them from the public;
• Yellowness of enamel. So, let's immediately note that natural yellowness is the norm, and it can only be removed with veneers or dentures. Svetlana Loboda got used to veneers for a long time, painfully, to the point of distortion of facial expressions and speech defects, and changed several options until she found a tolerable one. Visit the dentist, take care of your oral cavity, and remember, no one today perceives light yellow discoloration as a problem in general;
• Bite and jaw defects. The most difficult of cases, since the issue can be resolved exclusively by operations, and even then not in all cases. Therefore, it is better to accept yourself as you are and perceive it as some unique feature. For example, like Ksenia Sobchak. Given her financial capabilities, she did not change anything and left her appearance as it is and at the same time she is no less popular and beautiful lady, and her smile is very recognizable to every Russian-speaking person;
• The presence of a gap between the front upper teeth. You can fight like Drew Barrymore, or you can leave it and make the gap your signature highlight, like Madonna, Lara Stone, Vanessa Paradis and many others did.

In addition, many are confused by their facial expressions when smiling with teeth, “slit” eyes and other facial expressions. Fortunately, you can work with this, and quite successfully. This is what we propose to do in the next section.

Keira Knightley is a perfect example of an imperfect but radiant smile

Causes of deep bite

Heredity

One of the child’s parents may have a pathology of distal occlusion or other problems that affect its development in the offspring.

For example, there are such variants of the abnormal structure of the parent’s face, which can lead to a deep bite in the child:

• Macrogeny.

  The upper jaw is significantly enlarged, and the lower jaw is developed normally. A large upper jaw is a dominant trait that is transmitted genetically.

• Microgenia.

  The lower jaw is underdeveloped, while the upper jaw is developed normally. This situation indicates chromosomal disorders, for example, Patau syndrome or Edwards syndrome.

Pathologies of intrauterine development and the postpartum period

The formation of the jaw system occurs approximately in the 5th week of pregnancy. If a woman is diagnosed with an intrauterine infection, fetal hypoxia, a delay in its development and other similar pathologies, this may subsequently cause a distal bite.

Jaw growth, taking into account genetically determined data, begins after birth, during breastfeeding. Its absence or incorrectly similar nipples (the holes of which are too large, as a result of which the child does not make sucking efforts) can also affect the condition of the teeth, as well as the following problems:

• hypotrophy,

  that is, the baby’s lack of weight in relation to his height.

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• Rickets.

  This disease is associated with disorders of bone formation (bones do not develop quickly enough). It most often occurs in infants and young children.

• Defects of the musculoskeletal system.

  For example, muscular torticollis, postural disorders, as well as other pathologies of bone tissue.

Important!

A deep bite can appear due to the child’s bad habits - frequent and excessive sucking of a pacifier and/or finger, biting the lip.

Disturbances in dental development

The following dental pathologies can provoke distal bite:

1. Super eruption or extrusion

   (“rabbit” teeth, that is, excessively elongated front incisors of the upper jaw).

2. Insufficient eruption of lateral teeth

   due to early loss of lateral primary teeth (which ideally fall out around 9–12 years of age).

3. Loss of molars at an early age.

   Permanent back teeth usually appear before the age of 13.

4. Increased abrasion.

   We are talking about the side teeth, which wear out much faster than normal. Most often this is associated with bruxism - active grinding, for example, while eating or sleeping.

Types, types and forms of deep bite

The type of bite is determined by the level of overlap of the lower teeth:

1. Mild degree.

   The lower teeth are half visible.

2. Average.

   The lower teeth are 50–100% invisible.

3. Severe degree.

   The upper incisors cut into the soft tissue of the lower jaw, completely covering the lower teeth.

There are two types of deep bite:

1. Distal.

   This is the most common type of deep bite. With it, the lower jaw is slightly shifted back, and the lower teeth are not visible by approximately 1/3. The relationship of the distant teeth is disturbed. The patient has difficulty biting, chewing, nasal breathing, and sometimes experiences pain in the temporomandibular joint.

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2. Neutral.

   With such a bite, the upper incisors also overlap the lower ones by 1/3, but the lateral teeth remain in place and their relationship does not suffer.

There are such forms of deep bite:

1. Roof-shaped.

   The upper front teeth protrude strongly forward, overlapping the lower ones.

2. Blocking.

   The upper incisors overlap the lower ones and are inclined backwards.

Step-by-step instructions on how to smile naturally with teeth

An ideal smile means the muscles of the face and shoulders are as relaxed as possible. By following these instructions, you will learn to smile perfectly, and you will no longer have the question of how to learn to smile naturally with teeth.

• Straighten your back, move your shoulders back, maintain your posture, do not tilt your head back. Relax but remain level-headed;
• Stretch and relax your neck, lowering your shoulders a little lower and lifting the top of your head up;
• Close your eyes and think about pleasant things;
• Relax your face;
• Raise your tongue to the palate, reaching the roots of the front teeth with the tip (this way you will straighten your bite, adjust your double chin and will not be able to overstrain your facial muscles in this position);
• Think about fun, loved ones, good things and open your eyes. The effect will be smiling eyes;
• Stretch your smile slightly and open your teeth. Remember that a smile with teeth is not always the most open and stretched mouth, it is a comfortable opening of the mouth so that the facial muscles are relaxed;
• Silently say "uh-uh" without killing your tongue from the roof of your mouth.

Natural smile with teeth is ready!

A natural smile is not only lips and teeth, but also raised cheeks, cheerful eyes, raised eyebrows

Correction of distal bite

Deep bites can be corrected surgically and non-surgically. The second option involves orthodontic and orthopedic treatment. First, the lateral teeth are pushed forward, then the inclination of the incisors is leveled. If desired, the patient can resort to orthopedic treatment - installation of veneers, onlays, crowns.

With any type of treatment, a complete sanitation of the oral cavity is first carried out - all infectious processes are eliminated, caries is treated, tartar is removed, etc. If this is not done, the patient will face complications in the form of caries and periodontal disease. The dentist also explains in detail to the person the importance of home hygiene. If it is insufficient, these complications may also occur.

Treatment of deep bite in childhood

This correction can be carried out from the age of 7 years. At this age, the child develops a mixed bite, the bone tissue is still unstable, and the teeth are more susceptible to the effects of the braces system. Orthodontists also resort to installing removable plates.

It is also important to eliminate the cause of the pathology. For example, if a distal bite has formed due to the habit of thumb sucking, but it has not been eradicated, even after comprehensive treatment a relapse may occur. If the orthodontist discovers such a problem, then first of all he refers the child to a psychologist, since most often such habits are a consequence of stress.

Treatment of deep bite in adults

Mature people with this pathology have braces installed. At the same time, the position of the teeth is changed so that the chewing load is evenly distributed between them.

Reference!

With a distal bite, an overlap of the lower teeth by 1/3 would be considered a good result.

The next option is the installation of an orthopedic structure: veneers, onlays or crowns. The main disadvantage of this procedure is the likelihood of severe grinding of the teeth and injury to the pulp.

Another technique is a combination of the previous two methods. First, the teeth are orthodontically prepared, and then orthopedic restoration.

Orthognathic surgery

This treatment option is appropriate for severe cases of distal malocclusion. Surgery can reduce or increase the size of the jaw. It is also important to undergo treatment with an orthodontist before surgery. This period takes from one year to one and a half years.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The patient is observed in the hospital for several days, then walks with installed intermaxillary traction for another 6 weeks. After recovery, the second stage of orthodontic treatment follows, which, on average, lasts from a couple of months to six months.

Treatment of distal occlusion in temporomandibular joint dysfunction

First, the masticatory muscles are relaxed with muscle relaxants and a bite block. After this, the bone is fixed in a central position. Next, direct treatment is carried out. If the patient wishes, veneers or crowns can be installed.

How are lip contouring and teeth related?

Every year, a cosmetic procedure such as lip contouring is gaining more and more popularity. The procedure is now quite affordable and every girl or woman can afford to try it. With the help of lip surgery, you can correct their contour, increase their volume and change their shape.

The contouring procedure itself is safe; the main thing in this matter is to find a good cosmetologist who uses only certified and high-quality materials in his work.

Having decided to change the shape of their lips, most girls do not think about their teeth at that moment. But in vain!

After all, as soon as lip contouring is done, the gaze of strangers and especially close friends and family will be directed at the lips, which means that the teeth will automatically fall into the zone of attention. Therefore, before going to the cosmetologist, look in the mirror, study yourself and your teeth, imagine how your “new lips” will combine with your teeth, what your smile will look like, so that you don’t end up with plump lips, but cannot smile.

So, let's look at several possible options for what could happen to your teeth, and in what order to carry out procedures at a cosmetologist and dentist.

What happens if you don't correct a deep bite?

Complications of uncorrected deep bite:

• loosening of incisors,
• cracks and chips on the front teeth,
• abnormally rapid and uneven wear of enamel (especially lateral teeth),
• sensitivity of the anterior incisors to cold and food,
• gradual protrusion of the upper incisors,
• wedge-shaped defects.

Such defects appear due to the strong pressure of the lower front teeth on the upper palate.

There are also complications that do not directly affect the condition of the teeth:

• Trauma to the mucous membrane of the palate.

  Constant friction of the lower incisors against the upper palate provokes persistent wounds. But the mucous membrane must constantly renew itself, which is why an excessive number of new cells appear. This, in turn, increases the risk of mutations and cancer.

• Disorders of the temporomandibular joint.

  The patient can move the jaw limitedly, the muscles are stiff. People often experience pain in this area, hear crunching or clicking noises when chewing, and suffer from migraines. If this is not corrected, over time the patient will experience degenerative processes in the joint.