Dental Occlusion

Find UK Dentists »

This is the technical term for how your teeth fit together when you bite down.  Good occlusion is highly desirable, allowing you to eat properly, with no concerns as to the alignment of your jaw or otherwise.  Mal-occlusion can cause some problems including:

• Issues with gum tissue
• Headaches
• Speech impediments
• Malnutrition
• Aesthetics

Causes of Malocclusion

There are no real reasons why you might have a bad occlusion, but some causes may include the following factors.

• Hereditary. Often the problem is hereditary, the number of teeth in your mouth and jaw alignment are influenced by your genes. 
• Overcrowding.  Having to many teeth in your mouth can lead to problems with your bite.  This can be rectified by having some teeth removed and orthodontic braces to rectify your teeth. 
• Jaw alignment.  How your jawbone lines up influences your occlusion.  Problems can be addressed while your mouth is still developing through the use of dental twin blocks and other similar braces. 
• Trauma.  It could be that you have lost one or more teeth and have to have your occlusion adjusted in order to allow you a better bite. 
• Malnutrition.  Not having enough nutrients as you grow can lead to distorted growth of your teeth and jaws. 
• Oral habits.  Habits such as thumb sucking or tooth grinding can lead to mis-formation of the teeth and jaw. 

Treatment for Malocclusion

If you have a problem with your bite, or occlusion, there are many things your dentist and orthodontist can do to rectify them.  Removal of teeth, dental twin blocks, orthodontic braces are just a few of the treatments available to change the alignment of your teeth and jaw. 

---