Help with overbite.

Sm1997

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I recently realised I'm affected by the condition called overbite as when my mouthing is resting, my top incisors overlap the bottom ones. When I bring the jaw forward with my jaw muscles, the top and bottom incisors touch each other but all the of other teeth don't and this movement also creates a massive gap between the top and bottom molars. Do you think I'm right to think I'm affected by the condition called overbite or there is something else wrong with my mouth/teeth?

jenniewb

I have an overbite. FWIK it's not so much a "condition", it's just the way your jaw is built, eg I've had an overbite since I was a child because my mouth just grew like that, mine was too bad for braces to make any difference (it was about 0.5 cm when I was a child if I remember correctly).


I was offered plastic surgery for when I stopped growing (aged 16) to move my jaw then cut the chin away but warned it would scar and as the overbite didn't affect me really I left it. -I had a slight lisp but was able by the time I hit 18 to teach myself to speak clearer (I was offered a speech therapist when I was about 14 but the lady made me listen to recordings of myself talking and I couldn't stand listening so I stopped going).


OP, what are the problems your overbite is causing you? Has something happened suddenly? Because my understanding of having an overbite is that it doesn't suddenly appear, it's just the way your jaw is structured. It will have been like that for years, perhaps all the way through your life.


Some people for example, have a slight curve to their spine (most people do have a slight curve but it's so mild it doesn't become an issue and they never find out) like a mis-aligned jaw it doesn't really get corrected because it doesn't always present as a problem. If it is a problem and you find it gets in the way of your day to day life, the best person to advise on this would be your Dentist who most likely will already be aware of it. They're normally quite good at picking up on things like that and asking if you are experiencing problems they can advise on correcting or rectifying.

teddysmum

Sm1997 wrote: »

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I recently realised I'm affected by the condition called overbite as when my mouthing is resting, my top incisors overlap the bottom ones. When I bring the jaw forward with my jaw muscles, the top and bottom incisors touch each other but all the of other teeth don't and this movement also creates a massive gap between the top and bottom molars. Do you think I'm right to think I'm affected by the condition called overbite or there is something else wrong with my mouth/teeth?

I've had the same for nearly 68 years and only found a slight problem recently in that I have a condition which makes me spasm in my sleep and sometimes I have nipped the inside of my mouth.


I also have badly aligned teeth on my top jaw and am only noticing that in old age (more time to contemplate).


I thought anyone with a receding chin must have some degree of overbite.(Dogs have severe cases of over and underbite and live with it)

Sm1997

Thank you for your answer, it actually makes feel a bit kinda better to know that I'm not alone in this. I didn't realise I had this problem until the other day when I was checking something online and I ended up reading about the overbite. Since I was a kid I always have had a very hard time trying to speak clear and pronounce words properly and I still can't sometimes, which it bothers a lot. I did a quick measurement at home with a tape measure and the gap between the top and bottom incisives is nearly 1 cm! But I'm not too sure if I did it right or not.
I will go to see a dentist but there is quite long waiting time so I was doing some online researches to find out if I'm truly affected by this thing, just to put my mind at ease.

donnac2558

Actually never thought about it but after reading the OP's post realize I have overbite!

The only effect it has is sometimes and I mean rarely when nodding off to sleep and will accidentally nip the inside of my cheek.

Just though my teeth and mouth no different from anyone else's, the dentists I have had over the years never mentioned.

p00hsticks

Sm1997 wrote: »

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I recently realised I'm affected by the condition called overbite as when my mouthing is resting, my top incisors overlap the bottom ones.

Nearly everyone does have overbite to some extent - it's perfectly normal.

Do you have any problems chewing food ?
Has your dentist commented on it at all ?

teddysmum

donnac2558 wrote: »

Actually never thought about it but after reading the OP's post realize I have overbite!

The only effect it has is sometimes and I mean rarely when nodding off to sleep and will accidentally nip the inside of my cheek.

Just though my teeth and mouth no different from anyone else's, the dentists I have had over the years never mentioned.

I'm not the only 'nipper' ,then. With age (I'm nearly69),my jaws have become looser and sometimes the lower one moves slightly sideways and causes an uncomfortable clashing of teeth that don't normally meet.


My dentist has never mentioned my overbite either; only mentioning that my mouth opening is small making her access to rear teeth more difficult.


I think an under bite would be worse as the chewing teeth (molars) wouldn't be aligned. The front teeth (incisors) are for nibbling /biting off ,which can be done with premolars and molars anyway, whereas the incisors aren't much use for chewing.

Toothsmith

Sm1997 wrote: »

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I recently realised I'm affected by the condition called overbite as when my mouthing is resting, my top incisors overlap the bottom ones. When I bring the jaw forward with my jaw muscles, the top and bottom incisors touch each other but all the of other teeth don't and this movement also creates a massive gap between the top and bottom molars. Do you think I'm right to think I'm affected by the condition called overbite or there is something else wrong with my mouth/teeth?

There isn’t a condition called ‘overbite’. Everyone has an overbite. Overbite is the relationshhip of your top jaw to your bottom jaw and is a measurement. Some people have overbites of a size that treatment is offered, but many people live perfectly happily with increased, decreased or even negative overbites.

The movements of your jaw that you describe sound perfectly normal too. When front teeth move against each other the back teeth should come apart. In fact, it can be more damaging sometimes if they don’t.

Has a dentist ever told you that you have anything abnormal about your bite? If not, you probably haven’t. Just ask next time you go for a check-up if you’re concerned.

Don’t go in and say you think you’re suffering from overbite though, or you’ll just end up being the subject of a “do you know what a patient asked me the other day....?” anecdote next time he’s at the pub with Dental mates! Just ask if he thinks there’s anything peculiar/abnormal with your bite.