Bad Bite? See Better Smiles Before and After Braces
Do you have crooked teeth? Do you want to fix an overbite? How do you get rid of the gap in your teeth? Braces and clear aligners like Invisalign or 3M Clarity aligners, as well as other treatment options, can fix your orthodontic problems and give you a gorgeous smile!
At Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics, we see incredible results from orthodontic treatment every day. We can treat even severe cases, such as those with missing or very crooked teeth. Check out the images below of our patients before and after braces or Invisalign. See for yourself what orthodontics can do for your dental issues.
Types of Bad Bites Before and After
A bad bite, or malocclusion, is when your teeth don’t line up correctly at rest. There are several types of malocclusions. Braces or clear aligners can fix nearly all of them. Only the most severe cases need additional treatment, such as oral surgery.
Let’s look at the different malocclusions before and after and see how braces or clear aligners have helped these patients.
Teeth Crowding Before and After
Our patient started his treatment at 11 years old with very crowded teeth. Not only were his front teeth crooked, but the crowding caused his upper canines and one lower canine to come in above and below the gum line, respectively.
After 26 months in braces, our patient had straight teeth with everything in line as it should be. He loves his new smile!
Open Bite Before and After
This patient sucked her thumb as a young child, which forced her upper teeth into an arch that kept them from connecting with the lower teeth. She started treatment at age 13 with a tongue crib to train her tongue to sit in its proper place on the palate.
We then placed braces on her teeth and moved her upper and lower teeth to their proper place and angle. Her treatment took 28 months, but now she can bite food with her front teeth again!
Deep Bite Before and After
Our patient, 25, had a severe deep bite, where the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth so much that the lower teeth rest or even bite into the roof of the mouth. He needed surgery and then braces to correct his deep bite.
Treatment took two years, but it could have been done without surgery had he been treated as a teenager. That’s because the jaw is still developing until we reach our late teens or early 20s, so moving the teeth is easier.
However, treatment is still possible for adults, as this patient showed. He ended up with a beautiful smile!
Overjet Before and After
Our 10-year-old patient had a large overjet, where the top teeth protruded at an outward angle from the bottom teeth. Her jaws were growing unevenly, so we divided her treatment into two phases.
In the first phase, we used orthodontics to help her upper and lower jaws grow harmoniously together. In the second phase, we aligned her teeth and bite properly.
By age 13, she was proudly displaying her new smile.
Underbite Before and After
Our adult patient had an underbite, where the lower teeth rest in front of the upper teeth. This caused her jaw discomfort and created excessive wear patterns on her teeth.
At age 32, she began treatment to repair her underbite. After 30 months of treatment, she found she could smile more proudly and chew food more easily and without jaw pain.
Gap Teeth Before and After
Our patient wasn’t happy with his smile. He had large spaces between his teeth, better known as gap teeth. After 24 months in braces, he had a gap-free smile and an ideal bite. We kept his teeth gap-free with permanent retainers bonded to the back of his front teeth.
Missing Lateral Incisors
Our patient was born without her lateral incisors, the two front teeth on either side of the center teeth. About 20% of people nationwide are missing teeth, and lateral incisors are some of the most common missing teeth.
The missing teeth left large gaps that caused her other teeth to move out of place. We provided braces treatment for 20 months and then replaced the missing teeth with bonded Maryland bridges.
A Maryland bridge is a prosthetic tooth that replaces the missing one. It has two wings bonded to the back of the teeth on either side of the gap, creating a permanent bridge. This gave our patient’s smile a more natural look.
Non-Braces Treatment Before and After
Occasionally, we get patients who don’t need braces but need orthodontic treatment. One such case was a 7-year-old patient whose lower permanent teeth were coming in crowded.
We performed a procedure to reduce the width of the child’s adjacent baby teeth. With room to move, the permanent incisors aligned properly on their own within nine months.
Early Intervention: Two-Phase Braces
While it’s true that you’re never too old for braces, orthodontic treatment is easier the earlier you do it. In some cases, we can head off major orthodontic problems later by taking early steps to align the teeth and jaws and then using braces later to correct any remaining issues.
It’s called two-phase braces treatment and usually starts with children ages 8-11.
Phase 1 Braces Before and After
The first phase usually involves using dental appliances to guide the development of teeth and jaws so they grow correctly. Sometimes, this involves partial braces, and other times, braces are left for phase II.
In some cases, our two-phase braces patients do so well with phase one treatment that they don’t need a second phase. Take our 8-year-old patient. Her parents were concerned with the aesthetics of her teeth and the health of the erupting permanent teeth.
Our patient’s lower front teeth were crowded and were touching the palate, showing indications of a deep bite. The upper front teeth were also severely displaced.
We used expanders to widen the patient’s jaws and allow for more room for the teeth to spread out. Partial braces helped move the teeth into place. After 12 months, the look and dental function of the patient’s jaws were vastly improved.
Phase 2 Braces
This patient may not have needed phase two, but many patients do need braces. In those cases, we usually wait a few years to allow more adult teeth to erupt.
The upside to two-phase braces is that with the first phase treating the causes of the dental issues, the second phase is usually shorter and easier. Instead of spending two or three years in braces, patients may only need braces for a few months or a year.
Braces Treatment in Columbia, IL
Braces do an incredible job of repairing bad bites. If you think your bad bite is beyond help, we at Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics are here to tell you it’s not!
Schedule an appointment for braces treatment in Columbia, IL, or Waterloo, IL. Let us show you how amazing your smile looks before and after braces!
