What Does An Ideal Bite Look Like?

How often did your parents remind you to brush your teeth every morning and night? If only it were that simple to maintain and care for your perfect smile. There’s more to routine-based brushing and flossing that goes into caring for your dental hygiene and oral health. An ideal bite is required for your teeth to function properly to prevent tooth decay, gum disease, crowding and other dental issues.

When your upper and lower teeth join together by the temporomandibular joint, this is referred to as a bite. A bite is a physical aspect and is a part of you. Similar to how people have curly hair or straight hair, bites can take form differently depending on genetic makeup.

The perfect smile can be achieved through an orthodontic treatment plan, with braces, aligners or orthognathic surgery.

An ideal bite after braces or aligners is typically straight, balanced and aligned where the upper teeth cover the lower teeth. A healthy bite with proper alignment is when your upper front teeth and lower bottom teeth can perfectly rest against each other in gentle contact. Your upper teeth should fit perfectly over your bottom teeth, with your incisor or front teeth gently touching.

Aesthetically, the upper midline should line up with the centre of the upper lip and from a side view, all teeth should appear balanced and connected so the pointed ends of the upper teeth fit perfectly snug between the two teeth on the bottom ensuring a flowing curve in your smile. In addition, the back molars should easily sit within the grooves of the lower or upper molar, while the upper arch should be slightly wider than the lower arch.

Some bad bites are more common than others, all possessing specific physical traits.

Crossbite

A crossbite is an orthodontic malocclusion of teeth, it’s when the upper teeth fit inside the lower set of teeth.

Underbite

Varying in severity, an underbite is when the bottom row of teeth sit and extend forward from the top row of teeth, pushing the jaw out.

Open bite

An open bite is present when there is no overlapping contact between the central incisors when the mouth is at a complete close.

Deep bite

A deep bite occurs when your upper front teeth cover too much of the bottom teeth with an extreme overlap evident when the back teeth are at a complete close.

Dental crowding

Crowding is the result of a lack of space in your jaw for your teeth to fit seamlessly in your mouth. This usually causes teeth to rotate or shift causing overlapping.

Overbite (Protrusion)

Depending on the severity, an overbite will protrude excessively over the bottom front teeth where the upper teeth stick out dramatically over the bottom teeth.

A bad bite can lead to an array of dental problems:

• Teeth decay
• Toothaches
• Plaque buildup
• Gum disease
• Teeth crowding
• Crooked teeth
• Tooth sensitivity
• Jaw strain
• Teeth grinding

Many patients have an average of 32 adult teeth and have two dental arches in the mouth. The upper arch houses all the sixteen upper teeth, known as the maxillary while the lower arch situates all sixteen lower teeth, and this is known as the mandibular (lower arch). Most patients, however, only able to fit 28 teeth in their mouths as the wisdom teeth do not fit.

The arches help ensuring a proper shape and ideal bite for your teeth. The structure is vital in the function of our mouth in being able to chew, bite and swallow food. In a perfect bite, the upper arch protrudes slightly over the lower arch ensuring the top row of teeth to sit perfectly atop of the lower row of teeth.

Commonly referred to as a misaligned bite, malocclusions can have severe impacts on your bite and both upper and lower arches if left untreated by an orthodontic professional.

Asymmetry 

A misaligned bite can cause either the upper arch or lower arch in the mouth to appear uneven or asymmetrical in appearance.

Discomfort 

Discomfort can be felt when teeth mesh together by biting or chewing as the teeth may not come together properly with a misaligned bite.

Tooth Wear 

If a person doesn’t have a normal bite, teeth may be prone to chipping, cracking, losing enough enamel that triggers tooth sensitivity, or in severe cases can lead to losing a tooth.

Problem with Speech

A misaligned bite can alter the way speech is produced as the teeth and tongue both play a vital role in producing sounds.

Your bite is yours, so that means when you come into our orthodontic practice, each orthodontic treatment plan will consider just the right amount of ideal  orthodontic work necessary to either retrain or correct your bite and alignment. Only after careful examination and analysis undertaken by one of our orthodontic professionals will a treatment plan be shared with you.

Types of Orthodontic Treatment Plans and Phases

Orthodontic treatment plans can help correct malocclusion and improve the appearance of your bite. Examinations on your upper teeth, bottom teeth and overall bite will be analysed and taken into consideration before treatment options are implemented.

In more severe cases, jaw surgery combined with braces or aligners may be an alternative treatment option to correct your malocclusion properly, depending on the ideal course of action required for your orthodontic needs.