Common Reasons for Orthodontics

What are some common teeth problems that parents can watch out for in their children?

Here are examples of some of the most common orthodontic problems many people have and what parents can look for.

• Crowding of Teeth: Overcrowding of teeth is another common issue that your local orthodontist in Reston can correct. Crowding of teeth occurs when there is not enough room in the mouth for all of the teeth. The jaw is too small for it to hold all of the teeth in its place. Overcrowding teeth can become difficult to clean and cause tooth decay and other problems in the future if not corrected early on.
• Protruding Teeth/Overjet: Protruding teeth is much like an overbite but to a significant degree. It is more common to happen to the upper teeth than lower teeth. Treatment for protruding teeth help the jaw grow harmoniously together and align the teeth and bite. If protruding teeth are not properly treated, the lower teeth can grow larger than normal and cause problems to the top of the mouth in the future.
• Overbite: An overbite occurs when the upper teeth or jaw is protruding over the lower teeth. This is very common and can cause some issues and even make chewing difficult in the worse cases. This is something that an orthodontist can easily treat and have corrected. Overbites being treated in the teenage years are much easier and take less longer to correct than they do treated in the adult years.
• Openbite: An open bite on a patient’s mouth occurs when the teeth and jaw do not meet together. This can sometimes be caused from sucking a thumb for a long period of time as a child. An open bite can make chewing difficult and cause excessive force and damage the other teeth.
• Crossbite: A Crossbite forms when the upper teeth fit on the inside of the lower teeth. The crossbite shown was treated by your Reston orthodontist within just 13 months.
• Missing Lateral Incisors: Missing lateral incisors are another common orthodontic problem. This occurs when the lateral incisor teeth are missing in a patient’s mouth. This can be corrected with braces to move teeth in their proper placement and then lateral incisors are replaced with implants.
• Underbite: Where your lower front teeth protrude (stick out) beyond your upper front teeth.
• Spaced Teeth: Spaced teeth occur when the jaw may be too wide and large spaces are in between the teeth. These spaces can cause problems and food can get stuck in between the spaces and can be unaesthetic.