Understanding and Addressing Overjet Teeth: Insights and Solutions

What are Overjet Teeth?

Having overjet teeth means that your upper jaw is positioned at an outward angle, causing your upper teeth to extend out in front of your lower jaw. This can interfere with your ability to close your mouth entirely and can cause problems with speaking and chewing. Overjet teeth can also affect your bite and cause your teeth to wear down prematurely.

What Does an Overjet Teeth Look Like?

Overjets come in different severities – from mild and unnoticeable to severe. If you have an overjet, your upper teeth may stick out further than 2 mm in front of your lower teeth. This can cause difficulty with biting or chewing, as well as problems with speech. You may also find yourself frequently biting your tongue or the inside of your cheek. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s considered normal for your upper teeth to be slightly in front of your lower teeth when you close your mouth – usually by about 2 mm. In most cases, overjet won’t cause any harm to your appearance.

Overjet vs. Overbite

As you can see, there is a lot of confusion about the terms “overjet” and “overbite” So what exactly are they, and how do they affect your smile?

Overjet teeth differ from overbite teeth because they have a different angle of alignment. In an overbite, the upper teeth and jaw are misaligned vertically, while in an overjet, they are misaligned horizontally. This gives the overbite its downward-pointing teeth, while the overjet makes your upper teeth protrude diagonally against the lower teeth.

What Causes Overjet?

The most common cause of an overjet is inheritance. If anyone in your family has a history of abnormal jaw development, you or your kid might also get it. Overjet teeth can also be a result of excessive thumb sucking and bottle feeding.

What are the Symptoms of Overjet?

Overjet is a problem that causes the upper teeth to rise above the lower teeth. The symptoms of overjet include:

• Issues with your speech like lisps or slurs
• Difficulty while chewing, swallowing, and biting
• Pain or Discomfort while eating food
• Problems with your facial appearance
• Embarrassment while smiling
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
• Having trouble while sleeping
• Inability to close lips
• Broken teeth

What are the Repercussions of Untreated Overjet?

It is not only a cosmetic need to treat overbite and overjet. An untreated abnormal bite leads to many oral and overall health problems. Some of the possible health issues due to bad bites are as follows:-

1. Damaged & Fractured Teeth

   An abnormal bite makes your teeth hit each other often. This constant rubbing and grinding result in enamel damage and tooth fracture. You can even lose a tooth.

2. Pain in the Jaw

   A misaligned jaw gets overstressed while functioning and even resting. Thus you can feel acute pain in your jaw. And your jaw is attached to other parts of your face as well. As a result, you can experience pain in the ears, eyes, and TMJ.

3. Gum Damage

   In grave cases of a misaligned bite, the lower front teeth poke the gums in the back of the upper teeth. This results in wear and tear of your gums and ailments like wiggly loose teeth, gum recession, gingivitis, etc.

4. Sleep Apnea

   People who have overjet tend to develop sleep apnea. You don’t get sufficient airflow in a misaligned bite. It is also called obstructive sleep apnea. There are many adverse effects of insufficient sleep on your body.

5. Trouble in Speaking & Biting

   It is difficult to chew and speak correctly with overjet teeth and overbite teeth. Therefore, it might get challenging to pronounce certain words. One of the reasons is that you use your tongue, teeth, and lips simultaneously to speak.

How to Fix Overjet Teeth?

1. Braces for Overjet

   The most common treatment for overjet is braces. Braces are used to correct overjet by pushing the teeth back towards their normal position. They are also used to correct overcrowding, also known as malocclusion or underbite.

   You may need to wear braces for several months or years, depending on how severe your overbite is and how well you cooperate with treatment plans. This orthodontic treatment will not only help you look better, but also improve your smile!

2. Invisalign for Overjet

   Invisalign is an effective tool for correcting overbites, but it’s important to choose an experienced and licensed orthodontist to administer the treatment. Invisalign’s clear aligner therapy has helped many people achieve great results, but it’s important to remember that any orthodontic treatment is only as effective as the orthodontist who is administering it. Choose an experienced professional with a track record of success using Invisalign clear aligners for the best possible results.

   Invisalign treatment is created to be unique for each person that uses it. Your orthodontist will design a series of clear aligners, custom-fitted for you specifically to treat your diagnosis.

3. Overjet Surgery

   If you have a severe overjet, your orthodontist will create a surgery plan for you. While this is uncommon, some people may require surgery for their teeth.