Can Teeth Straightening Help With Jaw Alignment Issues?

You might know that misaligned teeth can cause bite and dental health troubles; however, did you realize jaw alignment troubles can do the same? Do not fear; we’re here to cover what you may do to correct jaw alignment without a surgical procedure, the reasons for misalignment, and how to live with it.

This misalignment is probably causing a problem with how your teeth are set. This leads to problems with bite. If you do not correct your misaligned jaw with jaw alignment treatment, you will compromise how you sleep, talk, and eat.

What is a Misaligned Jaw?

You know that we deal with orthodontic treatments to solve the problem of your irregular teeth or that of your child. Another way that we can help in treating your bite problems is by using braces.

When you or any of your children are facing the problem of jaws that do not meet adequately, there is no better solution than to use braces. We can also work towards reducing the impacts you are experiencing or will likely face concerning issues related to an overbite or an underbite. However, this specific problem is typically straightforward and sensitive at the same time.

Types of Jaw Misalignment

Mishaps in evolution gave birth to malocclusion, of which the following are classifications. The primary types are:

• Overbite: A state in which the upper teeth have considerable overbite on the lower teeth.
• Underbite: If the lower teeth are away from the upper teeth, forward.
• Crossbite: Where several upper teeth lie within the lower teeth rather than being outside.
• Open Bite: A state where teeth of the upper and lower jaws do not meet when the mouth is closed.

Jaw asymmetry is a condition where one side of the jaw is either higher or more forward than the other.

Causes of Jaw Misalignment

There are various causes of jaw misalignment. These can be helpful in early detection of the need for orthodontic brace placement.

Hereditary predispositions have an essential contribution to this. It means that if you have precursors of jaw misalignment issues in your family, you tend to get them, too.

Some factors that cause jaw misalignment include prolonged thumb sucking and the use of pacifiers during childhood and adolescence. These habits pressure developing jaws and force them to grow in the wrong shape.

Trauma: Any blow to the jaw region influences the jaw’s position. The misalignment may be aggravated if the cause is not treated soon after any trauma accident.

Some diseases, such as TMJ disorders, lead to improper jaw positioning. Often, these conditions involve the joints that connect the jaw with the skull and, therefore, the alignment.

Jaw Alignment Issues

Physical Health
Misaligned jaws may have severe effects on your physical well-being. Pain and discomfort when chewing and swallowing are other side effects. Many people with TMJ have problems with biting and chewing food, and these kinds of issues are likely to affect an individual’s diet.

The jaw misalignment is commonly associated with speech disorders. Specific words get hard to pronounce, resulting in mish-mash when passing information to others.
Other diseases, like breathing disturbances, may be caused by improperly aligned jaws that limit breathing, especially during sleep.

There is also the issue of TMJ pain because misalignment puts extra stress on your temporomandibular joint, causing you chronic pain and discomfort.

Aesthetic Concerns
It also causes the jaws to be asymmetrical and will, therefore, affect an individual’s physical appearance. This feeling, along with others related to the position and appearance of your jawline, can drastically influence communication processes and shape one’s personality negatively.

Dental Health
Orthodontic treatment is essential for the position of our lower jaw to have healthy teeth. This also makes it difficult to clean the teeth because the angles cannot be aligned, and this also causes plaque, which can easily cause decay and diseases. Protruding teeth or poorly aligned jaws put unequal pressure on your teeth, causing them to wear out much faster.

The Use of Orthodontic Treatment

They all involve correcting the position of teeth and jaws to provide efficient and aesthetic form and function. Here’s how it works for various jaw alignment issues:

1. Braces
Among the orthodontic therapies, braces are considered to be the most popular for regimens related to jaw displacement. They work for an extended period to gradually exert force to change the position of the teeth to the required one in the patient’s mouth. This process can also affect the position of the jaw.

The necessary changes can quickly occur for the growing child and teenager whose bones are not fully calcified. In particular, it is possible for adults to use braces as a supplementary treatment in combination with other therapies.

2. Clear Aligners
Invisible aligners, like the Invisalign, are effective doublers of ordinary braces but are not as obvious. These are individually made, portable trays that help move the teeth in the desired direction in a given period.

When the misalignment is not so severe, such as in the case of the lower jaw, clear aligners make excellent treatments. But even in such instances, treatments may still call for traditional regular braces or other treatments.

3. Functional Appliances
Functional appliances, on the other hand, are apparatuses that aim to change the jaw relationships and, therefore, align the jaw during growth. These are particularly effective in younger patients in whom the development of the jaws has not been completed.

Some of them are Herbst appliances and twin block appliances, which are used for patients with underbite or overbite problems because they promote proper jaw growth.

4. Orthognathic Surgery
In severe cases of jaw misalignment, orthopedic treatment can be required over and above orthodontic treatment. Corrective or orthognathic surgery corrects jaw problems by moving the jaws where they should be. This surgery is usually accompanied by orthodontic treatment before and after the operation to achieve proper occlusion to the new jaw position.

The Treatment Process

First Visit and Examination
The first process of eliminating the position deviation of jaws is consultation and examination.
Your misalignment is evaluated using examination and imaging to assess the severity of the problem. Once the doctor diagnoses a disease, he or she comes up with a unique treatment plan.

Active Treatment Phase
The active treatment phase is complex and can be outlined in several steps. The time taken and procedures taken may vary depending on the level of misalignment and the treatment taken. Typical steps in this process include:

Step 1: It involves the fitting of Orthodontic Appliances
After completing a treatment plan, your orthodontist will apply the right appliances to regulate your jaws. These devices are supposedly for the mouth and may include braces, aligners, or functional appliances.

Step 2: Regular Check-Ups
During the active phase, you must continue with your appointments with your orthodontist for checkups and instrument adjustments. This means that your treatment plan is still optimal, and any modifications can be made if it is effective.

Step 3: Treatment–Related Compliance
Your orthodontist may give specific instructions on wearing any prescribed appliance or other recommendations, and it is essential to follow them thoroughly. This will make it easier to obtain the best results with a lot of efficiency.

Step 4: Proper Oral Hygiene
Oral hygiene must be adequately maintained during the orthodontic treatment session. This includes regular brushing and flossing and refraining from diets that will cause harm to your fixtures.

Step 5: Retention
As a result of the treatment, after a particular phase of the treatment procedure, you will be required to wear a retainer. It is worth emphasizing that the purpose of follow-up appointments should not be overlooked. The treatment schedule can be changed or modified whenever one decides to go for a check-up to ensure that everything is fine.

Post-Treatment Care
For this reason, transitional care is necessary following jaw adjustment. Retainers are essential to sustain the results. They contribute to maintaining the teeth and jaw in places where they shifted during braces treatment. Nonsurgical care involves proper dental hygiene and building good health standards. Control and follow-up also include check-ups with your orthodontist to ensure everything is in place.

Choosing the Right Treatment: Consult an Orthodontist

It is, therefore, essential to recognize that the treatment of jaw alignment problems is the work of an orthodontist after proper assessment. Contact Potranco Road Dental Office for Jaw Alignment treatment.