You are attending a meeting that is not ending, or you are in the middle of class, and you open your mouth for a huge yawn and hear a crack. Is it painful to open your mouth this wide? This is just a single example of discomfort jaw joint. An issue that can sometimes be very painful. Jaw pain can be brought on by a variety of factors. Including a bad bite during eating. Which is a common issue a dentist sees often.
Your dental structure may suffer major damage if your teeth don’t fit together properly. These can cause discomfort and pain in the jaw joints, but teeth remain pain-free. However, what do we mean when we discuss “bad bite”? is it possible for an orthodontist to treat it? If yes, how? Are there more reasons for jaw pain? You will get to know about this below.
Bad Bites
When an expert discusses a problematic bite, they discuss how the upper and lower arches of teeth are positioned. In particular, the jaw joints, facial muscles, and ligaments will all be used by the body to try to make up for the difference and get the teeth to fit together properly. With time, the misuse of those ligaments, muscles, and joints can result in discomfort and increasing pain.
Although genetic disorders frequently cause bad bites, several other factors might affect the form and function of your jaw, Such as:
- Mouth Breathing
- Impacted Teeth
- Tumors in the Mouth or Jaw
- Extended Thumb Sucking
- Cleft Plate
- Prolonged Use of a Pacifier
- Injury
- Abnormally Shaped Teeth
- Improperly Fitted Dental Fillings, Crowns, or Braces
Jaw Pain and Jaw discomfort
There are numerous reasons why someone could feel pain or discomfort in their jaw joint. Jaw pain can result from general wear and tear, degenerative disorders, and injuries. Sometimes imbalance between jaws and teeth is caused by a bad bite.
With a dental system that is out of balance in one or more ways, patients may encounter significant challenges when attempting to chew food, swallow, speak, yawn, smile, and talk frequently. These challenges can range from symptoms like headaches, jaw joint pain, and muscle tension to excessive wear and tear on teeth.
To treat this issue, finding the root cause of this jaw pain and discomfort is more important than planning its treatment. To diagnose the root causes of all abnormalities, including misalignment, jaw size, jaw position, and joint health, you need an experienced orthodontist.
Diagnosing issues with teeth alignment, jaw position and size, and joint health is necessary to create a successful treatment plan to determine the root of the discomfort.
The main task is to fix the dental structure to its optimal position so that the issue related to bad bite can be resolved. Using braces is the most reliable and effective dental way of treating a crowded, crooked, and aligned jaw.
How braces help in Bad Bites
Normally braces are the best option to fix appliances used to treat bad bites because they are effective, affordable, and can be used to treat bad bites and spectrum, from minor to severe.
Braces are normally made out of elastic bands, metal, and wires. The bars are positioned or secured around the teeth, serving as the braces’ anchors. After the arch wires are threaded through the brackets and fastened to the bands, the frames are cemented to the front teeth. The arch wires pressure teeth to get them into their optimal place, improving overall health and strengthening the teeth.
In the past, braces were heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable, but in this modern time are much lighter, smaller, more efficient and comfortable, and more useful. They come in different colors and styles.
The period varies to the conventions of the patient. Then orthodontist decides how long he will have to treat his patient with braces. The patient must follow up on the appointments for better treatment.
Is there a recommended age for wearing braces?
If a bad bite happens to you, there are chances that you inherited it from one of your parents. Sometimes it happens due to bad habits like premature loss of teeth, mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, and thumb sucking. These habits can lead to misalignment and jaw pain.
When a child’s permanent teeth develop between the ages of six and twelve, a poor bite will frequently become apparent. We always recommend evaluating children with orthodontic conditions at the age of seven, as at this age, they have both baby and adult teeth.
Because it’s simpler for us to see the growing jaw and developing teeth in younger children, we also advise orthodontic treatment early on. This enables us to plan any required orthodontic treatment and modify it to address any potential future issues.
Braces, or any other orthodontic treatment, should start between the ages of eight and fourteen to achieve the best outcomes. Of course, dental braces aren’t just advantageous for kids and teenagers. Adults who have a poor bite can also receive orthodontic treatment. Although the procedure is the same, adults may require longer treatment periods.