In dentistry, your bite is how your upper and lower jaw meet. Patients with a healthy bite have upper teeth that fit a little over the lower teeth. The points of the lower molar should fit inside of the indentations of the upper molar.

Your bite can impact both your oral health and appearance. Here, we’ll discuss why a healthy bite is important to a healthy mouth. 

Factors That Can Influence Your Bite

In many cases, malocclusion (a bad bite) is simply caused by genetics. However, children can develop a bad bite if they frequently suck their thumbs. Additionally, losing permanent teeth can negatively impact your bite.  

How Your Bite Contributes to Your Oral Health

A well-aligned bite makes it easier to brush your teeth properly. As a result, patients with an ideal bite tend to experience greater overall oral health, with a reduced risk of gum disease and tooth decay. 

Additionally, with a healthy bite, the muscles in the jaw don’t have to work as hard when you chew. This can decrease the strain on your jaw muscles and TMJ. So, patients with a healthy bite tend to have a lower risk of developing TMJ disorders. 

Risks of a Bad Bite

Patients with malocclusion may experience:

• Problems when chewing and biting
• Trouble breathing
• Speech issues (i.e. a lisp)
• Bruxism (grinding the teeth)
• An abnormal appearance of the face

How To Achieve a Healthy Bite

If you don’t have a perfect bite, it may not need to be fixed. Many alignment issues don’t require treatment. However, if a problem with your bite is a detriment to your oral health, there are multiple treatments that could help, including:

• Braces or invisible aligners
• Dental repairs, such as bonding, capping or reshaping
• Removing teeth to resolve overcrowding
• Jaw surgery (in severe cases)

If you have questions about improving your bite, schedule an appointment at Dental Implant Solutionz today.