It is ironic that one of the most common dental
disorders is also the most neglected,
malocclusion, bad bite. The way the teeth fit together when the
jaw closes and chews is of profound importance to the long-term health of your
teeth.
If surfaces of the teeth interfere with how the jaw moves, the teeth can be
worked loose or the enamel can be worn away this is know an
malocclusion, bad bite. The muscles that move the jaw are
very powerful and can do major damage to the teeth when the biting surfaces don't
fit together properly.
The problem can be compounded if teeth interfere with functional
muscle patterns, the jaw muscles will attempt to "erase" the part of
the tooth that interferes by grinding against it all the more. This can lead to
even more severe wear or it may crack off a cusp or split the tooth. Or it may
loosen the tooth or cause it to move out of alignment. The excessive muscle
activity often results in pain in the muscle itself. All of the jaw muscles can
become sore including the temporal muscles that are the source of many so-called
tension headaches.
Some excessive muscle activity may be caused by emotional stress. But with
some special exceptions, damage done by stress induced grinding and clenching
can be minimized to a manageable level by equalizing the biting surfaces that
are in conflict with jaw movements.
The power of the jaw muscles may surprise you. Some people can exert over 900
pounds of compressive force with their jaw muscles so you can imagine how much
damage such force can do when you close into a single tooth and then work it
from side to side. The effect is very much like working a fence post loose as
the bone around the root breaks down. If you can put your finger on any tooth in
your mouth, and then squeezing your teeth together causes the tooth to move, you
can be sure that it is just a matter of time before there will be a problem with
that tooth.
Sometimes in
malocclusion, bad bite the muscle forces that work the tooth sideways stimulates bone
around the root to build up and become stronger. When that happens, the tooth
actually bends in its socket and this creates a microscopic chipping away close
to the gum line to form a deep groove in the tooth. This is called an abfraction.
These deep grooves at the gum line are often mistaken for toothbrush abrasion,
but scientists have shown us that the grooves are actually the results of bending
of the tooth in its socket. These grooves can lead to much sensitivity in those teeth
because the opening into the tooth exposes nerves that can be exquisitely
sensitive. Correction of the bite to remove excessive lateral forces on the
teeth in most instances either eliminates the sensitivity completely or reduces
it to a much more acceptable level.
Patients should be aware that much confusion surrounds the importance of a
harmonious bite, including many misconceptions that have been fostered by flawed
research that has failed to properly relate the bite interferences to the
position and condition of the temporomandibular joints. Knowledgeable
clinicians, however, are very much aware of this relationship and can achieve
excellent results in making both your teeth and your jaw muscles more
comfortable by bringing your whole biting into harmony and avoiding
malocclusion, bad bite.
