The terminology bite or occlusion defines the position of the patient’s teeth when bringing the dental arches into contact. In this sense, the desirable relationship between the arches is for the upper teeth to circumscribe them, covering the lower teeth to a lesser degree. This relationship is called normal occlusion.
What is reverse bite?
When the patient makes the movement of closing the mouth and the upper teeth are inward of the lower teeth, this is called a reverse bite.
The abnormality may include a single tooth or a group of teeth. It can be located in both front teeth and molars.
Unfortunately, an increasing number of young patients are affected by this condition, which requires immediate treatment to increase the chances of success.
Causes of reverse bite
Genetic factors (shape and size of jaws and teeth, relationships between them, supernumerary teeth, malformations)
Vicious habits of the patient causing reversed eruption times between the lower and upper incisors.
In some cases, a baby tooth that remains too long on the arch can induce changes in the position of the permanent teeth. In this way, a reverse bite occurs, but it is strictly localized to the tooth that caused the imbalance.
Inconsistencies in the order of tooth eruption.
Effects on the oral cavity and associated complications
Reverse occlusion can be painful when chewing and can also interfere with speaking. Left untreated, it prevents the proper development of the jawbone and mandible. Over time, severe temporomandibular joint problems occur, with the patient unable to open the mouth to normal values.
The gums are also affected, become inflamed and retract, the end result being premature tooth loss.
The bones, having a different rate of development and an unnatural position, will make chewing difficult. The same effect is caused by tooth wear. Teeth lose hard substance and become abraded precisely because of poor alignment.
How do we treat a reverse bite?
The most common therapeutic procedure is orthodontic treatment with braces and a mouthpiece applied to the palate of the oral cavity to expand and increase the width of the jawbone. This is the non-surgical option offered by the orthodontist.
Braces can be made of metal, ceramic or sapphire, the latter two options being aesthetic.
For more severe cases of reverse bite, the dentist may indicate prosthetic or surgical treatment.
Surgical procedures are recommended to be performed before the bones completely fuse, which occurs in girls around the age of 16 and in boys at around 19. So, the earlier the treatment is administered, the greater the chances of success.
In the picture below you can see the prosthetic correction of the reverse bite.
More cases of reverse occlusion solved prosthetically you can see here: (click)
