When I had a badly decayed tooth extracted, I got a partial denture to fill in the gap. I didn't mind it at first, because I was just so happy to have my painful tooth out of my mouth. Over time, I began to get tired of taking it out at night. I asked my dentist if I was could get a dental implant, and he said that my gum disease did not make me a good candidate, but a fixed bridge may be a good option for me. I went with his suggestion, and I have no regrets. I love feeling like I have a real tooth again that I don't have to remove at night. I created this blog to remind other people with a missing tooth that they have many replacement options, and if one is not for you, then try another that may be right.
A dental overjet is a measure of the distance between the respective edges of the upper and lower incisors. A minimal overjet may not cause any problem, but a serious overjet increases the risk of injury to the upper front teeth and may also interfere with the beauty of your smile. Here are some of the possible treatment methods for an overjet:
Orthodontics
An overjet may be caused by different things such as congenital defects in the jawbone, missing teeth or misaligned teeth. The cause of the overjet may determine the necessary treatment. For example, if your overjet is caused by misaligned teeth, then orthodontics treatment will suffice.
A dentist may also advise for an interproximal reduction (IPR) treatment, which involves stripping off some of your teeth enamel, before orthodontic treatment. IPR treatment is necessary if your teeth have no room to move; stripping off some enamel creates this room so that the braces can move and align your teeth.
Surgery
A dentist may put a surgical option on the table if your overjet is extreme and has been caused by development problems of the lower jaw. If the lower jaw is underdeveloped, then you may have an overjet even if the upper jaw is fully developed and the upper teeth are properly aligned. In such a case, orthodontics alone may not solve the problem. This is why you may need surgery to correct the jaw problem, and with it, your malocclusion. Most likely, you will also be a candidate for orthodontics in addition to the surgical intervention.
Tooth Extraction Replacement
Missing lower teeth may also lead to an overjet because any jaw with missing teeth shortens after some time. In this case, the dentist may opt to extract some tooth from your upper jaw and retract your upper jaw using orthodontics. Another option is to replace the missing teeth (in the lower jaw), a treatment that will lengthen your lower jaw and get rid of (or minimize) the overjet. In this case, your upper jaw and teeth will not be affected. Note that the tooth replacement alone may not correct this issue; the treatment is often accompanied by orthodontic treatment. An examination by the dentist will help them determine which course of treatment is best for you.
As you can see, you don't have to suffer alone with your overjet problem; there is a dental treatment for the issue. Just consult a dentist for an evaluation and a recommendation on which treatment suits your case.
Share24 August 2017
