Common Orthodontic Problems

NORMAL OCCLUSION

CROWDING OF THE TEETH

Close-up of patient's teeth showing dental alignment and orthodontic treatment progress in clinical setting.
Before
Close-up of upper teeth showing dental alignment and whitening results in clinical setting.
After
Patient started treatment at age 11 and wore braces for 26 months. He loves his new smile.

OPEN BITE - FRONT TEETH DON'T TOUCH

Close-up of upper teeth showing gaps and misalignment before orthodontic treatment
Before
Close-up dental photograph showing front teeth with straight alignment and healthy gums.
After
Patient sucked her thumb as a young child. She started treatment at age 13. She had braces and a special appliance — called a crib — to retrain the tongue, for 28 months. Now she can bite the lettuce out of a sandwich.

DEEP OVERBITE - LOWER FRONT TEETH BITE INTO PALATE

Close-up of upper front teeth showing dental alignment and gum health in clinical setting.
Before
Close-up dental view showing upper front teeth with orthodontic brackets and wires applied to teeth.
After
This adult patient, age 25, required braces and jaw surgery to correct his severe overbite, with treatment taking two years. His problem could have been corrected without surgery if he had been treated before he was a teenager.

MISSING LATERAL INCISORS

Close-up of child's upper teeth showing dental development with mixed primary and permanent teeth.
Before
Close-up dental photograph showing teeth alignment and orthodontic condition before treatment.
After
This patient's lateral incisors were congenitally missing. She had braces for 20 months to move the teeth into their correct positions, then the missing teeth were replaced with bonded "Maryland" bridges.

UNDERBITE - LOWER FRONT TEETH IN FRONT OF UPPER TEETH

Close-up of upper front teeth showing dental alignment and gum health in clinical setting.
Before
Close-up of upper and lower teeth showing dental alignment and bite relationship in clinical orthodontic setting.
After
Patient's underbite was causing her jaw joint discomfort and excessive wear patterns on her teeth. After about 30 months of treatment starting at age 32, she now finds smiling and chewing much easier.

SPACING OF TEETH

Close-up of dental crowns and implants on upper front teeth showing orthodontic restoration.
Before
Close-up of upper and lower teeth showing orthodontic treatment results with aligned dental positioning.
After
Patient was bothered by the spaces between his teeth. Braces closed the spaces and gave him an ideal bite in 24 months. Special glued-in retainers help keep the spaces closed.

OVERJET - PROTRUDING FRONT TEETH

Close-up view of upper front teeth showing dental alignment and smile demonstration for orthodontic treatment.
Before
Close-up of upper and lower teeth showing orthodontic alignment and dental health assessment.
After
At age ten, patient had a big overjet with the top teeth protruding beyond the bottom. She had two phases of treatment. The first helped her jaws to grow more harmoniously and the second aligned her teeth and bite. At age 13, she was proudly displaying her new smile.

NON-BRACES TREATMENT

Open mouth view showing palate and upper dental arch during orthodontic examination.
Before
Close-up view of lower teeth and gums showing orthodontic wire placement during treatment.
After
Sometimes braces are not needed to get noticeable improvements in tooth alignment. This patient was first seen at age seven for crowding of the lower permanent teeth. A procedure was performed to reduce the width of the adjacent baby teeth and the permanent incisors aligned on their own in nine months.

PHASE-ONE

Child's open mouth showing missing primary teeth and developing permanent teeth, dental examination view.
Before
Close-up of teeth and gums showing orthodontic treatment progress with metal braces on upper teeth.
After
Patient's parents were concerned about both aesthetics and the health of the erupting permanent teeth when they brought him to the orthodontist at age eight. The lower front teeth were crowded and touching the palate, and the upper front teeth were extremely displaced from their normal positions. After 12 months of Phase-One treatment with an expander and partial braces, patient's appearance and dental function had vastly improved.