Find out what is the correct dental occlusion 

If you were to rate your smile, what grade would you rate it? Smiling is a beautiful habit and you should never spend a day without doing it, but our smile, or rather our teeth, does not always satisfy us as we would like.

Find out what is the correct dental occlusion 

Periodically various types of studies or surveys are carried out which seem to show irrefutable data: a good percentage of Italians do not seem to be completely satisfied with their smile.

The reasons can obviously be multiple and not always really linked to obvious pathologies or aesthetic defects, but to subjective evaluations or personal insecurities.

It is evident, however, that the evaluation of the smile cannot be separated from the evaluation of one's teeth, at least at an aesthetic level, while from an anatomical or functional point of view, the dentist must always be the main point of reference for evaluating the dental situation and identifying the correct therapeutic approach.

Often a smile that does not fully satisfy, because it is considered imperfect, with poorly aligned teeth except when really crooked, or characterized by dental overcrowding or diseases related to the gums, is the result of a problem called dental malocclusion. A problem that defining aesthetic is obviously reductive as it involves a series of problems that are anything but superficial and negligible.

Dental occlusion, the way in which the teeth of the lower and upper arch align with each other when we close the mouth, is the first element that must be evaluated when taking into consideration the harmony of a smile, a mouth and therefore also of a face.

A misaligned, imperfect occlusion, which has an irregular bite, will naturally affect the beauty of the smile, but also the health of the mouth and the entire body.

Of course, to evaluate the correctness and harmony of the dental occlusion - and consequently to avoid a malocclusion with all the problems it entails, a careful visit to your trusted dentist is needed who will be able to identify the right way to fix an imperfect occlusion or at least, where it was not possible to intervene definitively, to act on the symptoms and disorders caused by malocclusion.

Correct dental occlusion: the types of bite

When we talk about "bite" we mean the way in which the two dental arches touch during the closing phase.

If the teeth of the maxilla and those of the mandible match each other and the relationship between them is correct, then it is possible to define the occlusion as functional, i.e. suitable for carrying out normal chewing activities in the right way, without overloading certain areas of the dental arches rather than others.

The type of bite that occurs in case of dental malocclusion depends on how the two dental arches relate to each other in the closing phase.

Open bite: in this particular type of malocclusion bite, there is no vertical overlap between the teeth of the maxilla and those of the mandible. The open bite can therefore be anterior if it occurs in the anterior areas of the dental arches; posterior if, on the other hand, the bite occurs in the posterior areas of the arches. In both cases the bite does not follow its natural physiology and will lead to a series of disorders.

Cross bite: also in this case the relationship between the dental arches is anomalous with a consequent anomalous relationship also between some teeth and the way in which they cross with the opposites. In this case, the bite will tend towards the inside of the mouth (vestibule-lingual) or towards the outside (labiolingual). Here, too, these are deviations from the normality of the natural bite that cause problems, even when chewing.

Deep bite: in this case the upper dental arch overrides the lower one beyond the ideal level, affecting not only chewing, but also craniofacial development.

Find out what is the correct dental occlusion 

Dental malocclusion: the consequences

The consequences of dental malocclusion, therefore of a misalignment between the teeth of the upper and lower arches, are many and concern both the aesthetic and functional areas.

The presence of a malocclusion, especially if associated with dental crowding, can lead primarily to the aesthetics of the smile, which will immediately appear not very harmonious, but above all to the health of the teeth.

In fact, malocclusion often leads to problems of gingival inflammation, caries and other problems due to an incorrect position of the arches in relation to each other. Not only that, the lack of balance between the teeth of the jaw and that of the jaw, and the consequent overload of muscle tension on one or the other, accentuated in the chewing phase for example, leads to a series of disturbances and discomfort at the temporo level. -mandibular, resulting in spinal problems, headaches and neck pain.

Malocclusion can then bring to the surface or worsen another widespread disorder which is bruxism: those who do not have an impeccable dental occlusion and manifest dental overcrowding and malocclusion, will tend, involuntarily even and especially during sleep, to grit their teeth between of them with consequences on the enamel and on the health of all teeth.