Do you suffer with pain in your jaw? Wondering why your teeth feel tender when you bite or are aching constantly? If you see signs that your teeth are not aligned, are looking worn down or chipped or your gums are receding, these problems could be caused by a skew bite.
What is a ‘skew’ bite?
The way your teeth meet when your jaws are together is known as your ‘bite’. If your teeth don’t fit together properly, you could have malocclusion and this includes problems with the teeth themselves, the gums, the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) or the muscles that move your jaw.
Some of the problems with jaw muscles include being in the wrong position, so that the muscles which move the jaw have to work harder and so become tired more easily. This causes muscle spasms which can result in headaches, migraines, pain behind the eyes and sinus pains in the neck and shoulders. In some cases, back muscles can even be affected.
The symptoms of TMJ disorder include clicking, grinding or pain in the jaw joints, along with ringing or buzzing in the ears. The effects can be excruciating and can last for a long time. However, many people don’t often associate jaw pain or a migraine as being caused by their bite.
Solutions for treating malocclusion
If you recognise any of these symptoms or suffer with these on a daily basis, you will need to see your dentist. They will be able to look at your problems and refer you to a specialist who deals with occlusal problems.
In some cases, the treatment for malocclusion includes wearing a hard plastic appliance. This is made to measure and fitted onto your bite accurately, so that when you bite on it, your teeth are in a position where your muscles are relaxed.
If it’s suspected that your problems are related to an incorrect bite, then your dentist may be able to improve the problem by supplying a temporary soft nightguard that fits over the upper or lower teeth.
It may have to be worn all the time, or just at night. However if your symptoms are relieved due to wearing the appliance, your bite may be required to be corrected permanently through various types of orthodontics or other maxillofacial surgery.
Adjusting or replacing the teeth
If your bite needs to be corrected to fit together evenly, then your teeth may need to be adjusted. During this process, the direction of the teeth is changed and reshaped to guide the teeth together, helping to reposition the jaw. This is known as equilibration.
Replacing the teeth requires equal support from both sides of the TMJ, which form both sides of the jaw. Chewing only works properly when your teeth are present and correctly positioned. So if you have missing teeth, they can be replaced with partial dentures, crowns or bridgework.
To be sure of what dental work needs doing, your dentist will offer you a diagnosis of your problem, usually after you’ve been wearing the appliance for a while to see if this has fully relieved the symptoms.
Yours in oral health,