Common Orthodontic Bite Problems
Correcting Bite ProblemsBraces alone can usually straighten teeth, but to achieve a proper overjet and overbite, it is often necessary to wear elastics (rubber bands). The way you wear the elastics depends on how the upper and lower teeth fit together (your bite). At each visit the doctor evaluates the amount of correction remaining to be accomplished and compares this with the remaining estimated treatment time. It is often the amount of elastic wear (or lack of wear) that determines whether you finish your treatment on time or ahead of schedule. Inadequate, inconsistant or no wear may make it impossible to ever achieve the desired result.
Headgear is a removable appliance that is often essential to achieving the best possible orthodontic correction. It is usually used to either slow down the forward growth of the upper jaw and/or help hold the back teeth in place while braces retract protruded front teeth. Headgear usually consists of two parts. The labial bow is the metal piece that is placed in the mouth and enters the headgear tubes attached to braces on the upper back teeth. The other part is either an elastic neck strap or an arrangement of straps that fit around the crown of the head to allow for a different direction of forces. Another type of headgear, called a reverse-pull headgear, is used to pull forward on the upper jaw and teeth.
