how do braces fix an overbite? do they push the upper teeth into the gums?
thanks in advance!
how do braces fix an overbite?
Moderator: bbsadmin
overbite reply
I will 1st have to ask you to clarify your definitions with what we use as orthodontists:
overbite: the vertical overlap of the front teeth.
Patients mistakingly think that overbite is the horizontal overlap of the front teeth which is overjet.
Think of overbite as vertical coverage of the front teeth; ex "an 80% overbite is a deep bite"
ex: "a 12mm overjet is what the layperson calls - buck teeth."
Excuse the expression.
So was your question about overbite or overjet correction??
Dr.J
overbite: the vertical overlap of the front teeth.
Patients mistakingly think that overbite is the horizontal overlap of the front teeth which is overjet.
Think of overbite as vertical coverage of the front teeth; ex "an 80% overbite is a deep bite"
ex: "a 12mm overjet is what the layperson calls - buck teeth."
Excuse the expression.
So was your question about overbite or overjet correction??
Dr.J
Dr.J - Ortho
I'm interested in this too. I have an overbite, a little more than half of my bottom teeth are not visible when I bite down. I have braces on my top teeth to move them so the bottoms can go on without me biting them off, and I want to know what direction my teeth are supposed to be moving. My top teeth are straight so I don't know where to look for progress.
Or with a bite plate like I hadMeryaten wrote:Personally, I've been treated with a reverse curve (of spee) archwire on my lower arch to open up my bite. Search round the forums here a bit for more on that.
To stop me biting off my lower brackets, or damaging my top teeth on them until the bite is properly opened, I have bonding/cement/putty on my lower 1st molars as a temporary measure to open up the bite. Other people get bite blocks on the inside of their upper front incisors to achieve this same goal.
I have an over bite and the plan is to move my lower teeth forward and move my upper teeth back with spring and elastics >.<
i have a bite plate in currently. it's like a thick retainer that prevents you from biting down all the way. i think the way it works is that it allows your bottom teeth to move vertically since there is no constant pressure applied to them from biting down, so they are able to come out of the gums more. at least, i think that's what my orthodontist told me.
i also have some sort of square wire or something on my bottom teeth. i'm not sure exactly what that does, but he said it should start opening up my bite more.
i also have some sort of square wire or something on my bottom teeth. i'm not sure exactly what that does, but he said it should start opening up my bite more.
complex stuff
This is a discussion that can really get complex but requires a knowledge of the type of facial pattern you have.
There are 3 types of facial patterns: short face (brachyfacial), normal facial height (mesofacial) and long face (dolicofacial).
In an ideal world, the ortho takes into account your facial pattern when leveling a deep bite.
3 are three types of leveling of overbites (maybe 4)
1. Intrusion: mechanics that actually drive the front teeth into the bone and gums from their "over-erupted position". Teeth do not disappear into the gums mind you- it all remodels. This is the most rarely done type of leveling and difficult to accomplish. Requires headgear sometimes to prevent the back teeth from erupting. Remember: all forces have equal and opposite reactions.
2. Flaring or "relative intrusion": this occurs when uncrowding the lower teeth for ex. They incline forward and while helping correct overjet they also help correct overbite. A broom may be 4 ft tall when held vertically but may appear only 2 ft tall to an onlooker if you lean it out towards them. Got it?
3. Posterior extrusion: this occurs very readily in braces. Here goes ...whew!.. The lower teeth from a side view usually exist on ta curve called the Curve of Spee: lower front teeth higher than the middle teeth and back second molars also higher. With brackes on all of the teeth and sequentially heavier wire, the mid-arch or premolar teeth are brought up of extruded. This opens the bite. Think of the geometry. But some incisor flaring might be expected here too....
Oh, but there is more to it. If you have a long face where you have lip strain to even close your lips ( the distance between your nose and chin is greater than normal ) you are not as good a candidate for posterior extrusion mechanics. Why ???
B/c as the back teeth erupt the bite is opened. Okay so what? Well the lowwe jaw is being rotated (in profile) clockwise. Now the face is longer, you have more lip incompetence, and the chin has become more deficient by rotating down and back. So this would be a case where INTRUSION OF THE FRONT TEETH MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER.
Short faced folks are good candidates for posterior eruption b/c the lower jaw expressed downward looks good.
Finally, some folks have deepbites b/c the entire maxilla or upper jaw has grown dow too far in the front. These folks have gummy smiles and are candidtaes for upper intrusion and sometimes jaw suery (option #4) to impact the upper jaw and reduce the overbite. Also shortening the long face.
I know this has been alot but we live for this stuff. What you must know is that good orthodontists do not let the appliances and wires determine how the overbite is leveled - it's the doctor's designed and predetermined force system that matters. Anyone can arbitrarily level an overbite without paying heed to facial form.
Lecture over. Sorry about the long-winded-ness!
Dr.J
There are 3 types of facial patterns: short face (brachyfacial), normal facial height (mesofacial) and long face (dolicofacial).
In an ideal world, the ortho takes into account your facial pattern when leveling a deep bite.
3 are three types of leveling of overbites (maybe 4)
1. Intrusion: mechanics that actually drive the front teeth into the bone and gums from their "over-erupted position". Teeth do not disappear into the gums mind you- it all remodels. This is the most rarely done type of leveling and difficult to accomplish. Requires headgear sometimes to prevent the back teeth from erupting. Remember: all forces have equal and opposite reactions.
2. Flaring or "relative intrusion": this occurs when uncrowding the lower teeth for ex. They incline forward and while helping correct overjet they also help correct overbite. A broom may be 4 ft tall when held vertically but may appear only 2 ft tall to an onlooker if you lean it out towards them. Got it?
3. Posterior extrusion: this occurs very readily in braces. Here goes ...whew!.. The lower teeth from a side view usually exist on ta curve called the Curve of Spee: lower front teeth higher than the middle teeth and back second molars also higher. With brackes on all of the teeth and sequentially heavier wire, the mid-arch or premolar teeth are brought up of extruded. This opens the bite. Think of the geometry. But some incisor flaring might be expected here too....
Oh, but there is more to it. If you have a long face where you have lip strain to even close your lips ( the distance between your nose and chin is greater than normal ) you are not as good a candidate for posterior extrusion mechanics. Why ???
B/c as the back teeth erupt the bite is opened. Okay so what? Well the lowwe jaw is being rotated (in profile) clockwise. Now the face is longer, you have more lip incompetence, and the chin has become more deficient by rotating down and back. So this would be a case where INTRUSION OF THE FRONT TEETH MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER.
Short faced folks are good candidates for posterior eruption b/c the lower jaw expressed downward looks good.
Finally, some folks have deepbites b/c the entire maxilla or upper jaw has grown dow too far in the front. These folks have gummy smiles and are candidtaes for upper intrusion and sometimes jaw suery (option #4) to impact the upper jaw and reduce the overbite. Also shortening the long face.
I know this has been alot but we live for this stuff. What you must know is that good orthodontists do not let the appliances and wires determine how the overbite is leveled - it's the doctor's designed and predetermined force system that matters. Anyone can arbitrarily level an overbite without paying heed to facial form.
Lecture over. Sorry about the long-winded-ness!
Dr.J
Dr.J - Ortho
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jennielee81
- Posts: 2144
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:31 pm
- Location: The Old Line State
WOW, thanks dr. J!!
That was fascinating...typos and all
That was fascinating...typos and all
"Life is an occasion; RISE TO IT!" --Mr. Magorium
I wore Damon 3's and Opals for 20 months at age 42. Braces off January 2007
http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=3535 a little more about me here: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 961130.htm
I wore Damon 3's and Opals for 20 months at age 42. Braces off January 2007
http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=3535 a little more about me here: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 961130.htm
-
texasangel
- Posts: 119
- Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 10:37 am
- Location: Dallas Texas area
Dr J.
Thanks ! I think I have #3 the Curve of Spee ? type of overbite/deepbite. My lower teeth look like a "wave" with the front 4 or 6 up higher and the middle ones lower and then the back molars higher. I've always wondered HOW they get evened out. Even though I have good communication with my dentist, sometimes I forget to ask all the right questions.
The bottom arch is getting alot better as time goes on, but it seems like their moving really slow.
Thanks again for all the good info !
Thanks ! I think I have #3 the Curve of Spee ? type of overbite/deepbite. My lower teeth look like a "wave" with the front 4 or 6 up higher and the middle ones lower and then the back molars higher. I've always wondered HOW they get evened out. Even though I have good communication with my dentist, sometimes I forget to ask all the right questions.
The bottom arch is getting alot better as time goes on, but it seems like their moving really slow.
Thanks again for all the good info !
Braced on 1/10/05 - full metal- woo hoo!!
Braces coming OFF 5/31/06 !!!
Braces coming OFF 5/31/06 !!!
Re: complex stuff
I remember my ortho saying she was going to do this! And my crowded lower teeth is the whole reason I decided to get braces. I still have one question though...how do you think my ortho is trying to move my top teeth in order to be able to put the bottoms on without me biting them off? She is trying to avoid me having to have a biteplate.2. Flaring or "relative intrusion": this occurs when uncrowding the lower teeth for ex. They incline forward and while helping correct overjet they also help correct overbite. A broom may be 4 ft tall when held vertically but may appear only 2 ft tall to an onlooker if you lean it out towards them. Got it?
overbite
I do not know about this. You may have enough horizontal clearance to accomodate the lower brackets. Sometimes I place little islands of aqua colored cement on the upper molars to open the bite but I'm not even a big fan of this procedure. There is the potential to cause a few bite problems.
Bite plates are neat b/c they allow the free eruption of the posterior teeth onto the "intermaxillary free-way space" AKA the space between the upper and lower teeth and the bite opens. There are things called bite turbos that go on the back of the upper front teeth and they have bite plane effect. I don't place them on adults b/c they hate 'em. I place them on kids - they also hate them!
Dr.J
Bite plates are neat b/c they allow the free eruption of the posterior teeth onto the "intermaxillary free-way space" AKA the space between the upper and lower teeth and the bite opens. There are things called bite turbos that go on the back of the upper front teeth and they have bite plane effect. I don't place them on adults b/c they hate 'em. I place them on kids - they also hate them!
Dr.J
Dr.J - Ortho
