5 Oral Health Consequences If Your Teeth DonΓÇÖt Line Up Correctly

By Dr. Jamie Reynolds

5 Oral Health Consequences If Your Teeth DonΓÇÖt Line Up Correctly

May is National Smile Month, but people with significant bite issues arenΓÇÖt always eager to show off their pearly whites. More important, though, is that bite issues can affect your health. Maybe itΓÇÖs crooked teeth that have thrown your bite out of whack. Maybe you suffered an injury, or perhaps the cause is dental work that wasnΓÇÖt quite right. Whatever the reason, overall dental health is affected. Here are a few of the long-term consequences when teeth donΓÇÖt line up quite right:

• Tooth pain. A bite that is off by a fraction of a millimeter can cause tooth pain. Improperly adjusted dental work can irritate a nerve. Tooth pain from these factors usually happens quickly and is usually the result of trauma or dental work. ItΓÇÖs important to have the eventual position of the tooth corrected to prevent long-term issues.
• Jaw joint pain (temporomandibular joint, TMJ). The jaw joint is made up of two bony parts: the temporal bone in the skull and the lower jaw (the mandible). Put the temporal bone and the mandible together, and you get the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Occasionally trauma to the joint can create a crackling or popping sound when you open or close your jaw. For most people, thatΓÇÖs no big deal. But, if you have a hard time opening your jaw, canΓÇÖt open it at all, or have significant pain during jaw movement, you should be evaluated for TMJ problems.
• Muscular pain. Muscular pain is the most common finding in people with jaw-joint problems and is largely responsible for the pain associated with many headaches.
• Tooth wear. Your teeth function as a chewing machine. And, just as with any other machine, the parts need to fit together properly to prevent premature wear. Over time, teeth can wear so that the inside part of the tooth becomes exposed. Once tooth wear progresses to a certain point, significant dental work and orthodontics are necessary to correct the problem. Preventing significant tooth wear before it happens is the best approach.
• Gum wear. Not only will teeth that arenΓÇÖt aligned correctly begin to wear prematurely, the gums and supporting bone will, too. Notching of the teeth near the gum line and wearing away of the gum tissue are common in people over 30 whose bite is off. Gum recession and tooth notching can be painful as well as difficult and expensive to fix. Again, prevention by correcting your bite early is the best option.

Some peopleΓÇÖs bad bites catch up with them when they are in their 20s. For others those bad bites wonΓÇÖt create significant problems until they are in their 60s. But eventually your bite will catch up with you. Dealing with bite issues proactively is much less painful, less labor intensive, and less expensive than dealing with bite problems later.ΓÇ¥

Dr. Jamie Reynolds (www.AskDrReynolds.com) is recognized on an annual basis as one of the top orthodontists in metro Detroit. His book, ΓÇ£World Class Smiles Made in Detroit,ΓÇ¥ puts an emphasis on the many benefits of having a great smile. Reynolds ΓÇô who is a national and international lecturer on high-tech digital orthodontics and practice management ΓÇô attended the University of Michigan for both his undergrad education and dental studies, and did his orthodontic residency at the University of Detroit-Mercy.