It’s a phrase that’s probably not an everyday term, but dental occlusion is something that affects a surprising amount of people. To put it in simple terms, it refers to the process where your teeth don’t fit together properly – your ‘bite’ just isn’t ‘right’.
Fortunately, this is a condition which can be treated relatively simply. While a dentist will usually have to be spoken to first, there are occasions where something as simple as altering your diet can resolve the problem relatively quickly.
As you might imagine, it’s a problem which can be caused by multiple issues. Speak to any Reading orthodontist and they would real off several possible reasons, as we take a look at four of the most common to get to the bottom of your bad bite.
Cause #1 – Your teeth
Unsurprisingly, there’s every chance that it’s just your teeth which are causing the problem. In short, those teeth which are out of line will naturally not come together properly – although there are other teeth-related problems. For example, those people who tend to have frequent toothache are unlikely to have a perfect bite, while anyone who has experienced multiple fillings or loose crowns is also susceptible to the problem.
Cause #2 – Your jaw muscles
Next on the list are the muscles around your jaw. This is usually the knock-on effect of another problem surrounding your jaw. In other words, if your jaw is positioned incorrectly, it can gradually tire your muscles and eventually cause them to spasm. Ultimately, your bite is going to be affected.
On a more positive note, this is one of the easier conditions to diagnose. There are obvious symptoms and as well as your jaw being out of line, you will most probably suffer with migraines or headaches, as well as sinus pain. In some cases this pain can extend as far as your back.
Cause #3 – Gums
As with most dentistry issues, problems can often be linked to the gums as well as your teeth. Little needs to be explained here, if your gums are receding it should go without saying that your bite is going to be affected.
Cause #4 – TMJ
The last cause we’re going to look at surrounds a problem which we’re pretty sure most readers won’t have encountered. Abbreviated to TMJ, temporo-mandibular joint revolves around the joint which sits between the bottom of your jaw and your skull. In normal cases, this jaw will move and allow you to open and close your mouth as we would expect.
Just like some of the other issues we have looked at, this is another really easy cause to diagnose. You will usually experience a clicking sensation around your jaw, with this even extending to buzzing in your ears. Over time, you will find it even more difficult to open and close your mouth, and this is the biggest tell yet that you are suffering from TMJ.