{"id":241,"date":"2015-07-06T15:35:46","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T15:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.viennapleasantdental.com\/?page_id=241"},"modified":"2015-07-06T15:35:46","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T15:35:46","slug":"what-is-a-malocclusion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/procedures\/orthodontics\/what-is-a-malocclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Malocclusion?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\">\n<div id=\"StylizedImage\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/styles.prosites.com\/litesite\/2018\/GenedImages\/Stylized\/s_Orthodontics-2046243307.jpg\" id=\"ctl00_ImageFlareStylized1_ImageFlareStylized1\">\n        <\/div>\n<p>    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/&lt;![CDATA[\nSys.WebForms.PageRequestManager._initialize('ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$sm', 'aspnetForm', [], [], [], 90, 'ctl00');\n\/\/]]&gt;\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"PageService_Line_Item_Name\" id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_PageServiceLineItemName\">\n<div style=\"float:left\"><span id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_Pagename\">What is a Malocclusion?<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"float:right\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"PageService_Line_Group_Items\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\">A malocclusion is an incorrect relationship between the maxilla (upper arch) and the mandible (lower arch), or a general misalignment of the teeth.&nbsp; Malocclusions are so common that most individuals experience one, to some degree.&nbsp; The poor alignment of the teeth is thought to be a result of genetic factors combined with poor oral habits, or other factors in the early years.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Moderate malocclusion commonly requires treatment by an orthodontist.&nbsp; Orthodontists are dentists who specialize in the treatment of malocclusions and other facial irregularities.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">The following are three main classifications of malocclusion:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Class I<\/strong> &ndash; The occlusion is typical, but there are spacing or overcrowding problems with the other teeth.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Class II<\/strong> &ndash; The malocclusion is an overbite (the upper teeth are positioned further forward than the lower teeth).&nbsp; This can be caused by the protrusion of anterior teeth or the overlapping of the central teeth by the lateral teeth.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Class III<\/strong> &ndash; Prognathism (also known as \u201cunderbite\u201d) is a malocclusion caused by the lower teeth being positioned further forward than the upper teeth.&nbsp; An underbite usually occurs when the jawbone is large or the maxillary bone is short.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\"><strong>Reasons for treating a malocclusion<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">A severe malocclusion may lead to skeletal disharmony of the lower face. &nbsp;In a more extreme case, the orthodontist may work in combination with a maxillofacial dentist to reconstruct the jaw.&nbsp; It is never too late to seek treatment for a malocclusion.&nbsp; Children and adults alike have completed orthodontic realignment procedures and have been delighted with the resulting even, straight smile.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Here are some of the main reasons to seek orthodontic treatment for a malocclusion:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Reduced risk of tooth decay<\/strong> &ndash; A malocclusion often causes an uneven wear pattern on the teeth. &nbsp;The constant wearing of the same teeth can lead to tooth erosion and decay.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Better oral hygiene<\/strong> &ndash; A malocclusion can be caused by overcrowding.&nbsp; When too many teeth are competing for too little space, it can be difficult to clean the teeth and gums effectively. &nbsp;It is much easier to clean straight teeth that are properly aligned.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Reduced risk of TMJ<\/strong> &ndash; Temporomandibular jaw syndrome (TMJ) is thought to be caused by a malocclusion.&nbsp; Headaches, facial pains and grinding teeth during sleep all result from the excessive pressure to the temporomandibular joint.&nbsp; Realigning the teeth reduces pressure, and eliminates these symptoms.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\"><strong>How is a malocclusion treated?<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">A malocclusion is usually treated with dental braces.&nbsp;&nbsp;The orthodontist takes panoramic X-rays, conducts visual examinations, and takes bite impressions of the whole mouth before deciding on the best course of treatment.&nbsp; If a malocclusion is obviously caused by overcrowding, the orthodontist may decide an extraction is the only way to create enough space for the realignment.&nbsp; However, in the case of an underbite, crossbite or overbite, there are several different orthodontic appliances available, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Fixed multibracket braces<\/strong> &ndash; This type of dental braces consists of brackets cemented to each tooth, and an archwire that connects each one.&nbsp; The orthodontist adjusts or changes the wire on a regular basis to train the teeth into proper alignment.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Removable devices<\/strong> &ndash; There are many non-fixed dental braces available to treat a malocclusion.&nbsp; Retainers, headgear and palate expanders are amongst the most common.&nbsp;&nbsp;Retainers are generally used to hold the teeth in the correct position while the jawbone grows properly around them. \n        <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Invisalign<sup>&reg;<\/sup><\/strong> &ndash; These dental aligners are removable and invisible to the naked eye.&nbsp;&nbsp;Invisalign<strong><sup>&reg;<\/sup><\/strong> works similarly to fixed dental braces but does not impact the aesthetics of the smile. <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><em>If you have any questions about malocclusions, please contact our office. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n        <input type=\"button\" onclick=\"document.location.href='\/procedures\/orthodontics\/'\" value=\"&lt;&lt;\" class=\"Button\" onmouseout=\"this.className='Button'\" onmouseover=\"this.className='ButtonHover'\" id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_btnBack\" name=\"ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$btnBack\"><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a Malocclusion? A malocclusion is an incorrect relationship between the maxilla (upper arch) and the mandible (lower arch), or a general misalignment of the teeth.&nbsp; Malocclusions are so common that most individuals experience one, to some degree.&nbsp; The poor alignment of the teeth is thought to be a result of genetic factors combined&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":123,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Wayne Clevenger","author_link":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/author\/cierradmin\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/241"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/241\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}