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At Designer Dental Studio, we see many patients that require Bite Therapy. Your ‘bite’ is where your top and bottom teeth meet. It is affected by the position of your teeth. In dentistry, you may hear this referred to as your ‘occlusion’. If your top and bottom teeth fit together properly it is an ideal bite. In this situation, the muscles that control and support your jaw exert minimal effort to move your jaw. This allows you to eat and speak comfortably. If you have a non-ideal bite and your top and bottom teeth don’t fit together properly, your jaw is misaligned. Your muscles may over-exert themselves to find a comfortable position to close your teeth together. You may hear this referred to as ‘malocclusion’.
During the day and night, your muscles may cause you to clench or grind your teeth in an effort to find a comfortable resting position for your jaw. This can lead to many signs and symptoms of malocclusion. Signs are any physical changes to the health of your teeth, gums and bone as a result of your bite. These can include:
- Cracks: Even where teeth have no fillings
- Wear: Flat spots on your teeth and front teeth can appear much shorter
- Abfraction: Small bits of tooth chip away near the gum
- Gum and bone loss: The gum and bone recede exposing more of the tooth root
As your teeth wear over time, the position of your jaw changes further becoming higher and closer to your upper jaw bone. As a result, your jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) can be pushed back, compressing the disc and associated nerves in that area. This is known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, often referred to as TMD.
There are many and varied symptoms of TMD, from jaw clicking and pain, to headaches and vertigo (dizziness). Please click here to read more about the symptoms of TMD.
Please click on the links below to read more.
If you would like know more about Bite Therapy, please contact Designer Dental Studio to book in for a comprehensive examination with Dr Duval. Fill in the contact form and we can schedule you an appointment today. We will provide you will all the necessary information so you can make an informed decision that is ideal for your dental health.
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