Correcting your bite is as important as having your smile corrected to be straight. Many people think that braces are only used to make teeth simply look straight, when in fact they accomplish a lot more than that.

One of the most important things orthodontists evaluate before giving you braces is how bad or misaligned your bite may be. Your bite is the way that your top and bottom teeth meet and align when you open and close your mouth. When they don’t align properly it is called a malocclusion. Orthodontists are just as concerned with how well your mouth functions as they are with making your smile look great.

Without a properly aligned bite you may experience the following problems:

• You may not be able to eat properly since teeth may not touch/align properly.
• It may affect your speech if the teeth disrupt your ability to pronounce words.
• Your teeth may wear down prematurely from the additional pressure in odd areas.
• You can even develop TMJ headaches as well.

There are many common bite problems we have come across and managed to correct here at Braces By Henry.  As a concerned orthodontist, Dr. Henry evaluates a lot of things when you go in for a consultation.

To determine how bad your bite may be, ask the following questions:

• Are your teeth straight?
• Do they meet properly?
• Does your tongue stick out of your front teeth?
• Does your jaw hurt or click?
• Do you have a lot of crowding, or conversely, any large gaps?
• Have you lost all your baby teeth?
• Are your teeth and gums healthy?
• Do you have problems breathing or speaking?
• Have you been experience any headaches?

Having the proper diagnosis before getting braces is vital and will make sure that you will not only have a great looking smile, but one that is just as much about function as it is about form. After all, what good is having straight looking teeth if you can’t chew or speak properly?