Protrusion of Upper Front Teeth
The most common compaint in orthodontics is protruding upper front teeth. This is characterized by the upper teeth extending too far forward or the lower teeth not extending far enough forward. Fractured upper front teeth often result when this condition is not corrected. The distance between the upper and lower front teeth is referred to as overjet.
Overbite
Overbite is a term that describes how far the upper front teeth extend down over the lower front teeth. Normally, approximately one half of the lower front teeth should be visible when the bite is closed.
Crossbite
This condition exists when the upper teeth are positioned inside the lower teeth. People often notice crossbite when the lower front teeth are in front of the uppper front teeth resulting in an underbite. Crossbites occurring in both the front and back teeth should be corrected as soon as possible to prevent fractured teeth and asymmetric growth of the jaws and face.
Openbite
Open bite exists when the upper and lower front teeth do not overlap at all. When the bite is closed, the upper and lower front teeth actually have a space between them, resulting in difficulty biting and chewing certain foods. This condition can be caused by a number of unwanted habits including anterior tongue thrust and finger sucking. Also, mouth breathing cased by nasal airway obstruction can contribute to open bite.
Crowding
Crowding occurs when teeth have insufficient room and results in crooked and overlapping teeth. Crowding can often be corrected by expansion appliances in children, and in most cases, tooth removal can be avoided.
Spacing
Spacing problems may be caused by missing, small or malaligned teeth. If spacing is not corrected, it can result in food impaction in addition to being unattractive.
Dental Midlines not Matched
This occurs when the upper or lower front teeth are not centered with each other or the patient's facial midline.