People often imagine braces or straight teeth when it comes to orthodontics. What you may not realize is that orthodontics includes much more than a straight smile and is important for correcting jaw and bite alignment problems. Improving your oral health and comfort is an excellent reason to learn how orthodontics can help. If you are trying to find orthodontics for yourself or your teen, this should keep things simple and clear for you to consider. If you are looking for orthodontics in Winnipeg, this blog will help you understand how treatment can help you have a healthy, balanced bite and jaw.
Why is Jaw and Bite Alignment Important?
A healthy jaw and bite do more than create an aesthetically pleasing smile. They help you:
- Chew and speak comfortably.
- Avoid uneven tooth wear,
- Prevent jaw pain or headaches.
- Reduce the risk of tooth damage, and provide balance & symmetry to your face.
If your bite is misaligned, this can lead to many problems in your daily life, including pain, difficulty chewing, and possibly even grinding and clenching in your sleep.
What Causes Jaw Misalignment?
The causes of jaw misalignment are numerous:
- Genetics or family history
- Childhood habits such as thumb sucking
- Injury or trauma to the jaw
- Missing teeth
- Improper eruption of teeth
Each case will be unique, which is why a dentist near you may recommend a specialized treatment plan after examining your bite and jaw position.
How does Orthodontic Treatment Help?
Orthodontic treatment works by moving teeth gently into the proper position while also improving the contact between your upper and lower jaw. Using braces, clear aligners, or retainers, the process might evolve gradually, but the outcome is effective.
Orthodontics can help you align your jaw and bite correctly in the following ways:
| Treatment Type | How It Helps |
| Braces | Move teeth into the proper position and align jaws |
| Clear Aligners | Gently shift teeth and correct bite issues discreetly |
| Expanders | Widen the upper jaw to fix crossbites and crowding |
| Elastics (rubber bands) | Help adjust how the upper and lower jaws fit together |
| Retainers | Keep teeth and jaw in place after treatment ends |
What Are Some Common Signs You Need Treatment?
You may not even recognize that your jaw or bite is crooked. However, here are some symptoms to notice if you are experiencing:
- Teeth that are not making good contact when you bite
- Popping jaw or sore jaw often
- Headaches and/or earaches
- Difficulty when chewing and/or speaking
- Grinding teeth at night
If you have any of these issues, you should consider jaw misalignment treatment options from a licensed dentist.
What Bite Issues Can Orthodontics Fix?
Orthodontic treatment is used to fix several bite and alignment issues, including:
- Overbite—top front teeth too far forward over the bottom
- Underbite—bottom front teeth too far ahead of the top teeth
- Crossbite—some top teeth lie inside the bottom teeth
- Open bite—front teeth never touch for biting
These can all be treated with bite correction orthodontics, depending on your situation.
Get Aligned with Garden City Dental Centre
At Garden City Dental Centre, we want you to be comfortable and have good oral health. Whether you’re having jaw pain or just want to feel better about your bite, you’ll be well taken care of by our caring staff at Garden City Dental Centre. You’ll feel like you deserve treatment at the consult and treatment procedure until you go for your aftercare advice; it will be a friendly atmosphere!
Call us now to schedule an appointment with Garden City Dental Centre and learn what an orthodontic treatment can help you with that can bring more than just a better smile. It could change your life in the way you chew, talk and feel every day.