{"id":5636,"date":"2021-11-12T11:46:38","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T16:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinacompletedental.com\/?p=5636"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:11:48","slug":"malocclusion-sometimes-it-bites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/malocclusion-sometimes-it-bites\/","title":{"rendered":"Malocclusion: Sometimes It Bites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Malocclusion is the dental term for misaligned teeth, a common condition affecting about 200,000 people in the United States every year. Many seek cosmetic solutions to feel better about their smiles, but there are also negative health consequences including pain and discomfort that result from improperly aligned teeth.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most severe cases may require surgical treatment beyond orthodontics, such as orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery. <a href=\"\/about-us\/\">Goose Creek dentists, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams<\/a> would like to share some information about malocclusion, the effects it can have on oral health, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/malocclusion-of-teeth#treatment\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">potential treatment solutions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Occlusion &amp; Bite<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Occlusion <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">refers to the alignment of your teeth, specifically the way your upper and lower teeth fit together. The way your upper and lower dental arches fit together is called your <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bite<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If your upper teeth fit slightly over your lower teeth with the points of molars fitting the grooves of the molars directly opposite, you\u2019ve got a healthy occlusion and bite. While the upper teeth keep us from biting our cheeks and lips, the lower teeth protect the tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Causes Malocclusion?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Malocclusion is often genetic. It presents in a variety of ways, ranging from differences in upper and lower jaw size to cleft lip or palate, which can result in overcrowded teeth or atypical bite patterns. Other causes of malocclusion include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early childhood habits like thumb-sucking and prolonged bottle or pacifier use.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later childhood habits like nail biting, chewing pencils and pens, and swallowing disorders.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jaw misalignment after a fracture or other injury.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mouth or jaw tumors.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor dental treatment with badly fitting dental appliances (fillings, crowns, etc.).<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impacted, missing, abnormally shaped or extra teeth.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Airway obstruction or mouth breathing (possibly resulting from allergies or enlarged tonsils).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the Negative Effects of Malocclusion?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When teeth are not aligned properly, daily functions such as breathing, eating, and speaking may become much more challenging. Pain and discomfort can lead to headaches and <a href=\"\/services\/family-dentistry\/#MouthGuards\">TMJ dysfunction<\/a>. <a href=\"\/services\/sleep-apnea\/\">Sleep apnea<\/a> is also a potential consequence of malocclusion. Even tooth decay and <a href=\"\/services\/family-dentistry\/#GumDisease\">gum disease<\/a> are more likely when dental irregularities exist, simply because there tend to be more places for bacteria to hide when teeth are crooked.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treatments for Malocclusion<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the type of malocclusion you have, different treatments will be considered, including:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"\/services\/cosmetic-dentistry\/#Bonding\">Bonding<\/a> can reshape teeth that are not uniform in appearance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"\/services\/oral-surgery\/\">Extraction<\/a> can correct overcrowding, allowing room for teeth to shift on their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"\/services\/orthodontics\/\">Orthodontics<\/a> can correct the position of the teeth. There are many different options for braces today, from clear aligners to short-term and traditional braces.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orthognathic Surgery<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orthognathic surgery corrects conditions of the jaw and face too severe to be treated with orthodontics alone, as correction requires surgical movement, modification, and realignment of bone. Conditions like these affect about 5% of the US population including, but not limited to, issues such as cleft palate, chronic jaw joint (TMJ) pain, facial injury, sleep apnea, and protruding or receding jaw.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While orthognathic surgery often improves a patient\u2019s appearance, its true purpose is to solve functional problems with chewing, speaking, and breathing. Orthognathic surgery is often performed in conjunction with orthodontic treatment both before and after as part of a long-term treatment plan.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have any questions about malocclusion or orthodontic treatment, <a href=\"\/contact-us\/\">contact Carolina Complete Dental<\/a> today. Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams love to improve lives by creating healthy, confident, and functional smiles!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Malocclusion is the dental term for misaligned teeth, a common condition affecting about 200,000 people in the United States every year. Many seek cosmetic solutions to feel better about their smiles, but there are also negative health consequences including pain and discomfort that result from improperly aligned teeth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,3],"tags":[86,87],"class_list":["post-5636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-dental-health","category-dental-services","tag-malocclusion","tag-misaligned-teeth"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Malocclusion in Goose Creek, SC \u01c0 Carolina Complete Dental<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Goose Creek dentists, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, talk about different types of 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