subject: A Perfect Bite [print this page] Malocclusions are dental or orthodontic defects that involve teeth misalignment. Some people suffer a condition wherein their teeth do not function efficiently with regards to phonetics, aesthetics, and mastication, due to their teeths imperfect arrangement. Some situations wherein they ingest larger chunks of food because they cannot chew properly, resulting to indigestion is a common problem for malocclusion patients.
Another disadvantage of having such problem is speech difficulties. Communicating skills depleted due to incorrect pronunciation of words are, at times, caused by malocclusions. The amount of air that is absorbed and released by the mouth while people speak is greatly influenced by their teeth structure. Large indentions between teeth do not only affect the quantity of air, but manipulation of the tongue as well.
In Los Angeles (LA), people experience this kind of problem due to many factors. Bad habits such as thumb sucking and prolonged use of bottles and pacifiers in their childhood years can cause malocclusions.
There are three main classes of malocclusion. The first class is overcrowding. This type of malocclusion refers to a condition wherein the person has excess teeth erupted. Due to the teeths abnormal number, the fitting of maxillary (upper jaw) teeth and mandible (lower jaw) teeth do not match, hence, biting is ineffective. This imperfection can be treated by an LA dentist or orthodontist.
The second class of malocclusion, on the other hand, is also referred to as overbite or retrognathism. This malocclusion type is characterized by having a disproportioned upper jaw. The upper jaw slightly or severely overlaps the lower jaw resulting to an abnormal connection between maxillary and mandible. An LA dentist would usually recommend a repair through installation of braces with this kind of teeth misalignment.
The third class of malocclusion is known as underbite or prognathism. This, however, is described as having an overlapped lower jaw or mandible. This malocclusion is often times hereditary. An LA dentist would usually require a patient to undergo a surgery for this issue. In this case, it may seem that the lower jaw is actually the problem, when in fact; sometimes the upper jaw is the one that isnt fully developed.
