Question: What is malocclusion and does mine need treatment?
Explanation: Malocclusion means a “bad bite” — any deviation from ideal alignment of the teeth or the way the upper and lower jaws meet. It includes crowding, spacing, overbite (deep vertical overlap), overjet (protruding front teeth), underbite, crossbite, and open bite. Causes range from genetics (jaw-tooth size mismatch) to childhood habits like thumb-sucking, early baby tooth loss, and mouth breathing. Treatment isn’t purely cosmetic: significant malocclusion can drive abnormal tooth wear, chewing difficulty, speech issues, jaw strain, and teeth that are harder to clean. Orthodontists grade severity — mild cases may reasonably go untreated, while functional problems benefit from braces, aligners, or occasionally jaw surgery.
Related Questions:
At what age should a child be screened for malocclusion? Around age 7 — early evaluation catches jaw growth issues while they’re easiest to guide, even if treatment waits.
Can adults fix malocclusion? Absolutely — teeth move at any age. Severe skeletal discrepancies in adults may require combined orthodontics and jaw surgery.
Does malocclusion cause TMJ problems? The relationship is complex — bite issues can contribute in some patients, but malocclusion alone doesn’t reliably predict jaw joint disorders.