My dentist wants me to get braces. He insists my open bite needs to be fixed. There’s nothing really wrong with my teeth except for that. Is it really necessary to fix it? I suspect it’s either just for cosmetic reasons or to make my dentist a load of money. Either way, I’m not interested. So, give me a real reason.
Mike A.
Dear Mike,
An open bite actually would benefit from being fixed, and for more than cosmetic reasons. While it does have a negative impact on the appearance of your smile, it’s actually the negative impact on your jaw joints and teeth that are the real concern.
How Do Open Bites Affect Your Body?
Your upper teeth are meant to go a bit forward of your lower teeth. An open bite prevents that putting pressure in unnatural places.
TMJ PROBLEMS
The first obvious problem is your jaw joints. Your temporomandibular joints get knocked about and ground down. This will lead to TMJ disorder. TMJ can be mild to so serious that your jaw locks up and you’re unable to close it or eat. Even the mild cases generally cause migraines, which can be debilitating in they’re own right.
Tooth Damage
Your molars especially will become ground down or even chipped or cracked. In most cases, you’ll end up needing dental crowns. This is costly and an unnecessary loss of otherwise healthy teeth.
Orthodontic Solutions to an Open Bite
The most severe open bites require surgery to repair. But, if your dentist is suggesting orthodontics then you’re not in that situation. That’s good news because it means it can be solved with orthodontics. There are two routes to choose from:
- Traditional braces. These are the usual metal brackets and wires you likely think of when you hear the braces. These can be placed by any orthodontist and a few dentists. Dr. Noah’s practice is one of those dentists.
- Invisalign. These days there is another option. Invisalign can be useful in solving this problem without anyone knowing you’re even wearing them. Better still is almost any dentist can place them.
Bottom line, your dentist is looking out for your best interest and isn’t just trying to make a quick buck.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Noah.