Overlapping Teeth – Causes, Issues and Treatment

Overlapping teeth are a common dental issue that can affect how your smile looks and how healthy your teeth stay over time. Many people think it’s only a cosmetic problem, but if it’s not treated, it can cause trouble with chewing, jaw pain, faster wearing of teeth, and a higher risk of cavities and gum disease. Knowing what causes overlapping teeth and the treatments available can help you make the right choices for a healthier and more confident smile.

What Are Overlapping Teeth?

Overlapping teeth occur when one or more teeth sit on top of or crowd into the space of another tooth instead of aligning properly in the jaw. This usually happens due to a lack of space, abnormal eruption patterns, jaw size issues, or habits that disrupt natural alignment.

Also Read: Malocclusion – Types, Causes & Effective Treatments Explained

What are the Causes of Overlapping Teeth?

Experts generally classify the reasons for overlapping teeth into two categories –

Other reasons for overlapping teeth are as mentioned below:

• If the mouth is too small to accommodate the teeth, it results in crowding and shifting of teeth. It mostly occurs due to genetics.
• Sometimes, people may have extra teeth, which can put excessive pressure on their front teeth, causing them to overlap.
• Habits such as extensive bottle usage and thumb sucking may also lead to overlapped or misaligned teeth.
• Oral health problems such as gingivitis or tumors in the mouth and jaw often affect the structure of teeth, causing them to become misaligned.
• If the upper and lower jaws aren’t of the same size, it may result in either an overbite or an underbite.
• Missing teeth and certain other unusual conditions, which hinder natural tooth eruption, can cause them to overlap.
• Poorly done dental restorations, including dental treatments such as fillings and crowns, are also known causes of overlapping teeth.
• Injury to the jaw may also result in teeth misalignment.
• Sometimes, even wisdom teeth are responsible for causing overlapping teeth.

What Are the Related Dental Health Issues?

Overlapping front teeth, if left untreated, may cause the following dental health issues in the long run:

• Overlapping front teeth tend to wear out earlier as compared to straight teeth.
• Misaligned teeth often make even simple actions such as chewing and speaking difficult.
• Jaw pain may develop, along with headaches.
• It may promote tooth grinding and clenching, which can lead to more dental issues.
• Cleaning teeth becomes difficult, which may increase incidences of decay, cavities, and gum diseases.
• Possible loss of confidence due to crooked teeth. This may prevent you from speaking and smiling openly in public.
• In severe cases of overlapping teeth, the shape of the face may be changed, making it look abnormal.
• Problems of speech may develop.
• You may end up frequently biting your tongue or inner cheeks.
• You may tend to breathe with your mouth more frequently instead of your nose.

How can you fix Overlapping Teeth?

If you are looking for solutions to fix overlapping front teeth or overlapping bottom teeth, listed below are a few widely used orthodontic treatments. Let’s take a look:

• 

  Braces

  It is one of the most effective and oldest approaches used to fix overlapping front teeth or overlapping bottom teeth. There are various types of braces available today. From traditional metal braces to lingual braces that are attached to the back of your teeth, you can take your pick depending on aesthetics, price, comfort, etc.

• 

  Invisalign

  These aligners are one of the most preferred orthodontic treatments today for fixing misaligned teeth, including overlapping teeth. They are chosen over braces because of their multiple benefits. They are a set of clear or plastic trays that are customized to fit your teeth perfectly. They are easily removable, convenient, comfortable, and almost invisible. Although Invisalign braces are a bit expensive, the advantages that they offer over braces make them a worthy investment for a perfect smile. However, they might not be ideal for correcting severe cases of overlapping.

• 

  Veneers

  Veneers are thin molds that are used to cover the front part of teeth. They are custom-made to match the shade of your natural teeth and are placed on the faulty teeth after sculpting them as required. They are used to correct a host of orthodontic issues and are slightly costly.

• 

  Sculpting

  Mild cases of overlapping front teeth or overlapping bottom teeth can be rectified with sculpting, sometimes. A laser or drill is used by the orthodontist to reduce overlapping and give the problematic teeth appropriate space. The teeth might be weakened by this process.

Apart from these treatment options, bonding is also sometimes used to fix overlapping teeth by changing their shape. In this procedure, a hardening paste is applied to the tooth, which can be shaped as desired.
These treatments stabilize your teeth so that overlapping doesn’t advance further. Extreme cases of overlapping teeth may require the removal of one or more teeth. Surgical reshaping of the jaw with the help of wires, plates, and screws is another option in severe overlapping cases.

What Are the Benefits of Fixing Overlapping Teeth?

If you fix overlapping teeth before they turn severe, you can benefit in several ways. Some of these benefits are listed below:

• Brushing and flossing teeth and gums become easier, which helps curtail the risk of cavities, decay, and gum disease.
• Excessive wear and tear of teeth is reduced.
• It reduces the risk of teeth getting damaged in case of an accident.
• Chewing isn’t a problem, so the associated oral and overall issues are also eliminated.
• A straight smile helps boost your personality, and as a result, your confidence to speak and smile in public is increased.

Even though overlapping front teeth or bottom teeth might seem like a trivial condition that can be left untreated, it shouldn’t be ignored. It may have serious repercussions on your oral as well as overall health.
If you are looking for solutions to fix overlapping teeth, get in touch with us at Brite Orthodontics today. Our team of experts is dedicated to offer you exceptional oral care for a straight and healthy smile. Call to book your appointment now.