Why is your bite important
Think about when you were a kid and you lost a tooth. You kept fiddling with the missing spot with your tongue and it drove you nuts! For a few hours anyway. Then you adjusted to it and didn’t even notice the missing spot, right? Our bodies ignore certain things after a certain point – it prioritizes new stimuli over existing ones. For example, you can always see your nose! Your brain just ignores it.
Well when it comes to your bite, we don’t really notice the way our teeth fit together. As a result, our bite could be off and we wouldn’t even know it! Your bite is very important though, as a misaligned bite could lead to a host of other issues.
What could a misaligned bite cause?
When something isn’t right in our body, a host of other, in some cases seemingly unrelated problems can emerge. For example, sinus problems or digestive problems could be caused by an off-kilter vertebrate in your back! If your bite doesn’t line up correctly, you could experience:
- Headaches
- Tooth wear that is excessive
- Sore muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the head and neck
- Gum recession
- Broken or loose teeth
There’s also the self-esteem factor to consider; if your bite is off your smile could be crooked. The good news? A misaligned bite can be fixed.
How can my dentist fix my bite?
Depending on what is causing your bite to be off, there are a variety of solutions your dentist can employ. In some cases, a missing tooth is causing a bite to be off, or a poorly fitted crown. Genetics could also be a factor, some people just have mouths that are too small to fit all of their teeth comfortably. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to keep up with regular dental checkups so your dentist can notice the signs of a misaligned bite and take steps to correct it before extreme measures are required. Some options your dentist may consider include:
- Replacing any missing teeth
- A dental mouth guard
- Bite splints
- Adjusting teeth (for example, shaving down problem areas)
- Braces or other orthodontic methods can be used to straighten the teeth that are out of alignment
The solution used by your dentist will be entirely dependent on the issue causing your bite to be misaligned. If you are experiencing headaches or any of the other issues mentioned above, contact Dr. Chauvin’s office! We can take a look and see what is going on.
