Malpositioned Upper / Lower Jaw

Descriptions of malpositions of the upper /lower jaw, causing abnormal occlusion. In the long run, a defective position of the jaw may pose a risk to the patient’s health. By that, the jaw joints may be seriously affected, and even loss of teeth cannot be excluded.

The Enlarged Mandibular Retrusion or Distal Bite

A too narrow row of teeth along the upper jaw may cause a distal bite, or mandibular retrusion. In cases of prognathy or retrogeny, the upper jaw is either too long, or too short, in comparison with the lower jaw. Therefore the cutting teeth are located too far towards the anterior. This causes a misbalance between the upper and lower jaw. Not only biting would be affected, but also the profile of the face is changing over time.

The Vertical Overbite or Deep Bite

A deep bite is synonymous with the deviation of the natural position of the teeth towards the vertical. This vertical overbite allows the upper dental front arch to overlap over the lower teeth. In extreme cases of vertical overbite, the teeth may hit the lips of the opposing jaw, or the opposing jaw itself, and cause wounds and inflammations there. If the diagnosis indicates only sparsely occurring symptoms, inflammations may be possible repercussions.

The Defective Order of the Upper and Lower Jaw, or the Mesial Bite.

In examining the mesial bite, dentists distinguish between a two-sided and a one-sided malposition of teeth. This may be caused by anatomic preconditions and could have been prevented if the upper and lower jaw were not that malpositioned. If it is a two-sided, anatomically caused malposition, both jaws will be affected. The patient usually recognizes this state in cases of food intake and when it comes to mimics. Prenormal occlusions, or prognathism, are in most cases caused by an overly growing of the lower jaw. The majority of cases show a congenital cause, which is tellingly called Neanderthal Symptom. Here, the lower jaw clearly overbites. And this, in turn, results in pronounced chins.

The Elliptic Gap between the Upper and Lower Jaw, the Open Bite

Caused by a (mostly congenital) malposition of the upper and/or lower jaw, an elliptic gap, or the open bite may occur. Moreover, the infantile thumb-sucking may play its part here, but some experts assume a congenital malposition of the tongue. During breathing, speaking, or swallowing, the tongue positions itself between the rows of teeth. As a result, the cutting teeth do not touch upon each other when the patient masticates or clenches his or her teeth. This is because of the rather large gap between the rows of teeth. For the patient, it may become very hard and even impossible to bite food off or to make sibilant sounds.

Crossbite – Upper Teeth Do Not Meet Lower Teeth

The sharp edges of the posterior teeth of the lower jaw usually meet the middle of the posterior teeth of the upper jaw. Simultaneously, the cutting edges of the cutting front teeth of the lower jaw meet the surfaces of cutting teeth of the upper jaw, pointing towards the palatine. Crossbites, on the contrary, are characterized by cutting teeth which point towards the interior of the mouth during biting.

Narrow Jaws – the Lack of Jaw Basis

In order to have a linear dental arch grow, the teeth require the dental space necessary to do so. If the jaw is too small, the teeth may not grow in strict vertical directions, causing narrow jaws. Up until today, it has been common sense that one or more teeth would have been removed, To be more specific, the malposition of the remaining teeth has been corrected by an orthodontic treatment, enabling the patient to regain their chewing and biting abilities. This treatment takes years to be successful and is therefore very protracting. On the minus side stands the fact that this method will not alter the esthetic look of the jaw.

Through the distraction of osteogenesis, an osseous tissue develops and osseous substance is given sufficient room to grow. The regeneration of osseous substance is rendered possible by an apparatus that is placed into a previously provided epiphysis cartilage carved out of the jaw bone and meant to stimulate jaw growth there over an extended period of several weeks. New osseous substance develops as a result, and after three to four weeks of consolidation, this substance will be as stable and strong as the actual jaw bone. Since the surrounding muscles, vessels, and nerves grow along the jaw, this procedure brings about an esthetically optimization of the facial area.