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How to Correct an Overbite in Children?


 

When 30-50% of the upper teeth protrude over the lower teeth, an overbite occurs.

Many reasons contribute to overbite problems in children. In this article, let’s first understand the types of overbite problems that exist, what are their causes and how they can be treated.  

 

Types of Overbites

They are of two types:

Vertical overbite: The top teeth significantly overlap the bottom teeth

 

   Horizontal overbite: The top teeth protrude over the bottom teeth

 

Overbites are also categorized as dental or skeletal in nature.

 

·         In dental overbites, the teeth cause the overbite to form.

·         In skeletal overbites, the jaw is responsible for the overbite to occur.

 

The overbite teeth problem is the most common type of bite problem and occurs due to a lot of reasons. Let us delve into some:

 

Causes of Overbite Teeth Problem

 

·           Improper jaw development

 

This is the most common cause of overbites. Overbites can occur if there is too much room in the jaw area or if there is too little room to accommodate the teeth size.

 

·           Thumb sucking and tongue thrusting

 

Habits like thumb-sucking and tongue thrusting in infants and children push the tongue against the back of the teeth, which can produce an overbite.

 

·           Genetics

 

Overbites can even occur because of hereditary or genetics as the genes have a role to play in the natural eruption of teeth.

 

The earlier you treat your child’s overbite, the better their jaw and teeth will be able to develop. If left untreated, your child’soverbite problem may worsen over time, and he/she may have to undergo extensive treatments later on.

 

Based on the severity of the problem, here are some issues your child may face due to an overbite:

 

If an overbite goes untreated, it could alter the face structure dramatically and lead to self-esteem issues in your child.

 

Other problems include:

  • Speech problems
  • Jaw pain
  • Low self-esteem
  • Discomfort while eating
  • Severe headaches
  • Trouble in opening and closing the mouth
  • Sleep apnea

 

How Can Overbite be Fixed in Children? 

 Your orthodontist will tell you that overbite correction in children is easy as their jaw is still in the developmental stage. They will take an x-ray and prescribe a treatment plan for your child. 

 

  • In case your child is very young, the orthodontist may remove their baby teeth to create room for the permanent teeth to grow straight. 

 

  • If your child is old enough, the orthodontist may recommend dental braces. These braces will help to move the teeth slowly to correct the overbite as well as the jaw.

 

Timely and early orthodontic evaluation will best determine how to prevent dental issues from occurring in your child. If your child shows signs of an overbite coming in, make sure to spot the signs early and consult your orthodontist.

 

If your child is seven years old and above, you should start making regular visits to the dentist. If a treatment plan to fix an overbite is given to your child, it is essential that they receive your full support as it will be a challenging time for them.

 

Make sure that your child practices good oral hygiene habits so that further dental problems don’t take place. 

 

Author Bio:

Dr. Satish Pai is an orthodontist and an Ivy League trained dentist who has and has served as a faculty at Columbia University. He believes that a perfect smile not only makes a person look great but feel great.  As the founder of Putnam Orthodontics and Rome Orthodontics, he is dedicated to providing the best orthodontic treatments to his patients. He also writes to educate people about everything orthodontics and the importance of correctly aligned teeth along with good oral health. In his free time, you can find him golfing, doing yoga or surfing, and spending time with his family. 

Root surface typically not totally cleaned with standard floss

# When using only standard floss, the mesial root surface of which of the following teeth
is typically NOT totally cleaned?
A. Mandibular central incisor
B. Mandibular 1st premolar
C. Mandibular 1st molar
D. Maxillary 1st premolar
E. Maxillary central incisor


The correct answer is D. Maxillary first premolar.

The mesial root surface of the maxillary 1st
premolar is typically NOT thoroughly cleaned using ONLY dental floss due to the mesial root concavity.

Because of the lack cleansibility of the
mesial of this tooth, It is advised to use
inter dental brushes, end tuft brushes, tooth
pick in holders, rubber tips, and powered
floss to clean these interproximal areas.

This is because of the type of gingival
embrasure space on the mesial aspect off
maxillary 1st premolar. The three types of
gingival embrasures are:
Type I: Having NO inter dental papilla loss
Type II: Partial loss of inter dental papilla
Type lIl: Complete loss of inter dental papilla


The mesial surface of the maxillary 1st premolar typically has a type ll or ll gingival embrasure, resulting in moderate to severe recession with exposure of the root concavity. Interdental brushes clean the root concavity better than dental floss.


Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis

 # Which of the following is not found in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis?
A. Pocket formation
B. Tooth loss
C. Bone loss
D. Gingival recession



The correct answer is A. Pocket formation.

NUG or NUP does not usually lead to periodontal pocket formation, because the necrotic changes involve the junctional epithelium, a viable junctional epithelium is needed for pocket deepening.


Cone Cut in Radiograph

 # Which of the following describes the etiology of cone-cutting?
A. Inadequate exposure time
B. Excessive mA
C. Excessive kVp
D. Incorrect source-object distance
E. Incorrect placement of X-ray machine



The correct answer is E. Incorrect placement of X Ray machine.

Cone-cutting occurs when the X-ray machine is not lined up properly with the X-ray sensor or film.

The film or sensor should be placed perpendicular to the X-ray
collimator to ensure that all of the necessary information is picked
up.

External devices are often used to ensure that the film/sensor are
perpendicular to the X-ray collimator.



SLOB technique

  # A periapical radiograph suggests an opaque mass Over the apex of the maxillary right 2nd molar. A second periapical radiograph is made with the X-ray head adjusted in a more mesial direction. The second periapical suggests that the object in question has moved distally compared to the 1st radiograph. Which of the following directions describes the location of the object?
A.In-between the roots
B. Buccal to the tooth
C. Lingual to the tooth
D. Not enough information is provided


The correct answer is B. Buccal to the tooth.

The SLOB (Same Lingual, Opposite Buccal) rule suggests that the
object is buccal to the tooth.

Because the object moved opposite to the positioning of the X-ray
device for the 2nd radiograph it demonstrates buccal positioning
If the object moved mesially with the head of the X-ray head being
moved mesially, it would have demonstrated lingual/palatal
positioning.


Difficulty in pronouncing T

 # A person wearing complete denture has difficulty in pronouncing T. The reason may be:
A. Too thick palatal area
B. Incorrect position of upper incisor teeth
C. Too thick mandibular bone
D. Reduced salivary flow



The correct answer is B. Incorrect position of upper incisor teeth. 

- Sounds like t, d, n, etc. are alveolar sounds. These sounds are produced with tip of tongue touching anterior palate.

- If maxillary anterior teeth are placed too far anteriorly, 'd' will sound like 't'.

- If they are placed too palatally, 't' will sound like 'd'. 

Lentulo spiral uses

 # Lentulo spirals are used for:
A. Locating canal orifice
B. Pulp extirpation
C. Enlarging coronal third of the root canal
D. Application of root canal sealer



The correct answer is D. Application of root canal sealer. 

- Finger pluggers are used for vertical compaction of gutta percha. 
- Finger spreaders are used for  lateral compaction of gutta percha.
- Lentulo spiral is used to deliver sealer or triple antibiotic paste to the root canal.