Overbite is the medical term, but people often call it “buck teeth.” This disparity may originate from either the jawbone or the teeth. It is not a standard misalignment, and everyone who suffers from it has varying severity.
Several alternatives allow this problem to be corrected when it comes to treatment.
What causes buck teeth?
This problem is usually hereditary and will affect the jaw bone or other physical features. But because buck teeth move when pressure is put on them, different habits can cause an overbite.
Sucking your thumb
Babies often like to chew on their thumbs. And although it seems harmless, if the habit continues after age 3, it will affect the child’s teeth.
Many cases of buck teeth develop due to consistent pressure on the outside of the tooth associated with sucking.
Extended use of pacifiers
Like sucking on your thumb, using a dummy past the right age can hurt your child’s teeth. Especially as permanent teeth appear, parents need to help their children stop using pacifiers around age.
Tongue interposition
As we mentioned before, teeth respond very well to pressure. If you retain your tongue among your teeth, you’re telling them in a roundabout way to grow up with an overbite. This can cause buck teeth at any time in your life. As a child or as an adult, it is a habit that will impact your teeth.
Having extra teeth or a small jaw
If you have too many teeth, a small jaw, or both, your teeth will be close together. In other words, your teeth will be under pressure as they grow.
Tumors and cysts
Cysts and tumors present for long periods will eventually pressure your dental tissues and affect their positions.
Side effects of buck teeth
Whether or not your buck teeth have side effects will depend on the degree of your malocclusion. In some cases, the overbite can be harmless. However, in more severe cases, you could suffer from the following:
- Digestive problems as a result of improper chewing.
- Speech and pronunciation problems.
- Breathing problems.
- Gum damage.
- Pain.
- Low self-esteem.
Home treatments for buck teeth
You can’t fix buck teeth at home, and there’s no reason to try. The improper distribution of force on your teeth causes an overbite. Attempting to correct this at home will create additional issues.
Consider the following when caring for buck teeth
Orthodontics
You can get Invisalign, metal braces, lingual braces, or ceramic braces to fix buck teeth. The duration of treatment can range from six months to two years. Normally, this is the first treatment that your dentist will choose. It is highly effective in correcting dental alignment, but it cannot fix other cosmetic problems in your smile.
Jaw surgery
If you have a severe and persistent case of buck teeth, jaw surgery will be required. First, you must go through orthodontics. This is because most cases are perfectly corrected with brackets. Even maxillary malocclusion can respond effectively to appliances.
Maxillary surgery for teeth cases will involve surgeons making most of the incisions inside your mouth.
Veneers
Veneers allow for the fastest and most flawless transformation for buck teeth. But they are only used in very severe cases.
Veneers can magically fix mild to moderate misalignment of the teeth. If you are unsuitable for veneers immediately, you may choose treatment after orthodontics or jaw surgery.
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