AAO Ragan Orthodontics in Dallas, TX

How Your Bite Affects Your Health

bite is how your bottom and top teeth come together. When these two don’t fit together properly, you have a bad bite or malocclusion. A lot of orthodontic problems spring from misaligned teeth. Most people regard malocclusion as a cosmetic problem and therefore don’t see a need to correct it. However, this is often a health problem that can affect your head, back, teeth, and neck. Here are the main issues that a bad bite can cause.
Low Self-Esteem
This is an obvious impact of misaligned teeth. A bad bite alters your face profile and even your smile. It, therefore, affects your self-confidence and limits your ability to enjoy life as you should.
Difficulties with Chewing
A proper chew ensures that teeth on both sides of your mouth evenly touch each other. However, misaligned teeth don’t do that. You, therefore, experience discomfort during chewing and this places a strain on your jaws and teeth. Ultimately, they are made to be susceptible to damage.
Difficulty Speaking
Your teeth play a critical role in speech production and their placement impacts how you talk. Speech impediments and a lisp can occur as a result of misaligned teeth. Speech impediments also affect a person’s sociability and self-confidence.
Tooth/Gum Wear and Tear
If this tooth problem is not corrected, the body might start compensating for the misalignment through grinding and clenching. This results in tooth loosening, breaking and wearing out of both your teeth and gums. Once your gums become worn out, it might cause gum recession, which is a complicated and expensive problem to fix.
Tooth Decay and Gum DiseaseIf you have a bad bite, you may face difficulties cleaning your teeth when brushing or flossing. Consequently, you have a higher risk of gingivitis, cavities, and tooth decay. These issues can eventually lead to gum recession and tooth loss.
Body Pains
Body parts are linked to one another. How your jaw is structured affects your muscles, spine, nerves, bite, and airwaves. If you have severely misaligned teeth, it will affect all these body parts. You may suffer from shoulder pains, backaches, neck pains, and all-round soreness.
If you want more information on how to fix an overbite or a bad bite, find the best orthodontist Dallas residents love. Dr. Ragan of Ragan Orthodontics in Dallas, TX, has over two decades of experience in dentistry and orthodontics. Schedule a consultation with us today and let us help you restore your health, beauty and teeth functionality.