What are physiological bites? How are they good? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Bite refers to the position of the teeth in contact with the lower and upper dentition during the complete connection of both jaws.
Dentists use the term “occlusion” to describe the occlusion of teeth . What it is? Occlusion is the closure of both jaws at the stage of moving towards each other. Physiological bites and pathological we consider below.
Central occlusion
Few people know what physiological bites are. The final position, which ends with the chewing movement of the jaws, is called central occlusion. Under these conditions, the middle of the human face coincides with the line that passes between the nodal incisors. In this case, the head of the lower jaw is located on the slope of the articular elevation, at its base. The muscles that raise the lower jaw are equally and extremely tense on both sides.
Thus, the bite of the teeth is the interconnection of both dentitions during central occlusion.
Types of Bite
There are various variations in the relationship between the teeth of both jaws during central occlusion. In accordance with them, different types of bite of teeth are established, which are divided into two groups:
- Physiological (correct) bite.
- Malocclusion (malocclusion).
Right bite
A physiological bite is established when, when both jaws are connected, the teeth of the upper group block the lower ones by about a third, and the molar teeth interact with each other so that the antagonist teeth are clearly closed to each other. Basic signs of a classic bite of teeth:
- The median conditional line of the face passes between the central lower and upper incisors.
- When the jaws are closed, the teeth of the upper row interact with the posterior teeth of the same name in the lower tier. And vice versa.
- Speech and chewing activity is not impaired.
- There are no gaps between the teeth standing side by side in the same row.
Types of Right Bite
The correct bite is of the following types:
- Orthognathic bite - the upper tier of teeth during jaw closure blocks the lower. In the anterior segment, the upper incisors close the lower ones by approximately a third. Dentists today consider this type of bite as a reference.
- Progenic bite - the lower jaw at the moment of teeth joining is slightly advanced.
- Straight bite - incisors of the upper row of teeth during closure of the jaws, the lower ones do not overlap, but are connected by cutting edges to each other.
- Biprognathic bite - the lower and upper incisors during the connection are inclined towards the vestibule of the oral cavity.
Any modification of the correct bite allows the dentoalveolar system to fully work, providing a standard aesthetic appearance of the face, typical diction and 100% chewing function.
Abnormal bite
An incorrect bite is produced as a result of acquired (due to any ailments, etc.) or congenital (genetic) defects of the jaw or dentition.
A key sign of an abnormal occlusion is a variety of deviations from the sample when the lower and upper teeth are closed, up to a complete lack of adhesion in some areas, which leads to disruption of the activity of the dentition, as well as a distortion of the correct outline of the face. Depending on the nature of the discrepancy, the following types of abnormal bite are distinguished:
- Open bite - most of the teeth of both jaws do not connect.
- The bite is deep - the upper incisors overlap the front surface of the lower incisors by more than 50%.
- Mesial bite - the lower jaw visibly protrudes forward in relation to the upper jaw.
- Distal bite - the lower jaw is infantile, and the upper is too developed.
- Cross bite - infantility of one side of a jaw.
- Dystopia - part of the teeth is placed incorrectly, out of place.
Each type of abnormal bite can lead to undesirable consequences for your body. In addition to aesthetic problems with distorted facial contours and jagged teeth, malocclusion can accelerate the progression of a number of ailments of both the body and the oral cavity.
Today, a huge number of people have one form or another of malocclusion. Fortunately, all types of this anomaly can be healed with the help of modern orthodontic healing. You just need to visit the orthodontist in time and choose the treatment method and the most suitable course for you. The sooner you do this, the more effective and faster such healing will be performed.
When is the best time to treat?
Pathological bite types are best treated in childhood, when the growth of the jaw and teeth is not yet complete. However, the current orthodontics is able to correct the bite in an adult as well very effectively.
Preventing the disease, of course, is much easier than eliminating, given the long-term orthodontic treatment. Therefore, take care of your baby's teeth immediately as they erupt, and then bite defects can certainly be avoided.
Open view
Consider the wrong bites in a bit more detail. It is known that the signs of an open bite are:
- tight closing of lips;
- slightly elongated oval face;
- pronunciation deviations;
- problematic processes of swallowing and chewing.
This type of malocclusion can be divided into several modifications. Firstly, based on the factor of occurrence:
- Traumatic - the causes of its occurrence are the loss of one or more milk teeth, as well as sucking fingers or immense addiction to the nipple.
- True - appears due to disorders in the structure of the bone tissue of the lower and upper jaw. It lends itself to treatment, but it is too complicated.
Secondly, based on the peculiarity of the flow:
- Lateral - lateral teeth do not touch at all.
- Frontal - jaw connection occurs at the location of the front incisors.
Symptoms of a deep bite
Deep bite is most often diagnosed. Its basic features include:
- Very fast and strong tooth abrasion. This appears due to the fact that with an incorrect deep bite, the individual often grinds his teeth.
- Strong overlap of the lower dental tier by the upper. An ordinary person who is not a specialist, in this case, can easily notice a slight decrease in the lower part of the face and unpleasant placement of teeth.
- Frequent headaches. This symptom is not observed in all patients.
- Pain in the area of the lower jaw joint and in the temples. Their causes are a disorder of the standard activity of the masticatory muscles.
Cross view
Cross bite is an abnormal placement of the lower dental tier in relation to the upper. Outside, this is revealed by the asymmetry of the face. Also here the lower and upper zones of the jaw are very narrowed. If the described disorder is characteristic of both segments of the jaw at the same time, then they speak of the presence of such an ailment as a cross bilateral bite.
But very often such a bite affects only the lateral and front teeth. The indicators of this type of anomaly are:
- Problems in the gastrointestinal tract due to the fact that the teeth in the proper volume do not fulfill their chewing duties.
- Crunching during opening of the mouth and pain resulting from a disorder in the functioning of the temporomandibular joint.
- Caries, increasing with increased load on the teeth.
- Pronunciation problems (mainly related to babies).
Distal view
The distal appearance of the bite externally manifests itself in too large an upper jaw area. Another situation also occurs - incomplete formation of the lower jaw. When recognizing this ailment, a person cannot carelessly close his lips, and his face has a significant bulge. Among the known consequences of this type of bite can be noted:
- Severe pain while opening the mouth and performing chewing movements.
- Serious risk of onset and further exacerbation of caries.
- The occurrence of periodontitis and, as a consequence, the loss of most of the teeth.
- Inability to install implants.
- Disorder of such important functions of the human body as facial expressions, swallowing, pronunciation, and, in advanced cases, breathing.
Mesial view
The mesial bite is completely opposite to the distal. Here we are dealing with a significant protrusion of the lower jaw, in view of which the human face seems to be curved. The mesial and distal types of bite are similar to each other, so the consequences in the absence of the necessary healing are identical.
Straight bite
We have already said that the direct bite is a kind of regular bite, which is extremely close to the ideal. Some orthodontists believe that tooth positioning with a direct bite is defective, as it leads to their rapid erasure during contact. They claim that this type of bite is a borderline between a regular bite and an abnormal one. The presence of this type of bite for its owner can have such undesirable consequences:
- Increased tooth abrasion, affecting aesthetics so that a person's lower third of the face decreases.
- With a neglected form, diction may be impaired, hearing impairment and pain in the temporomandibular joint may occur.
- As a result of the wear of the dentition, a dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint appears .
With strong enamel abrasion, polished surfaces of the cutting edges of the teeth are obtained, which are highly resistant to caries. At the same time, damage to teeth by periodontal disease does not occur more often than with a different form of true occlusion.
Bite in babies
In the development of occlusion in children there are three basic periods:
- Temporary: from the appearance of the milk of the first tooth to the appearance of the permanent first tooth.
- Interchangeable: a period of smooth replacement of primary teeth with permanent ones.
- Permanent: the period of the molded bite when all of the baby teeth have changed to permanent.
A maxillofacial defect is considered to be permanently formed during the period of a permanent bite, and during a shift and temporary period it is perfectly correctable. From early childhood, observe the bite of the baby, and if you notice a deviation from the norm, start orthodontic treatment. Be healthy!