The tale of Freddie Mercury
The most famous example of an overbite is Freddie Mercury’s teeth. The famous rockstar had four extra teeth in the back of his mouth that pushed his front teeth forward. Freddie however, refused to fix his overbite because he believed it was what made his voice so unique.
However, mere mortals like the rest of us may feel self-conscious about our overbite. If you’ve ever been nicknamed “Rabbit” in school for your buck teeth or avoided photos of your side view because of your “duck face”, that feeling of sheer embarrassment may be familiar for you.
What is an overbite?
You probably already know what an overbite is, but we’ll explain it just so we’re crystal clear.
Severe overbites – aka “malocclusions” for those of you who drink tea with your pinky finger up – are when your upper jaw juts out above your lower jaw. It can make you appear to have a weak chin so your face looks shorter and rounder, and hurtful terms like “chipmunk” or “bugs bunny” may even get thrown around by a more juvenile crowd.
Don’t think that an overbite is a purely aesthetic issue though. They can also have serious consequences for your dental health, speech, and ability to chew.
To fix a minor overbite, invisible braces are often a good option as they involve correcting the positions of your teeth.
Why you shouldn’t procrastinate on treating your overbite
Apart from avoiding drawing the ire of schoolyard bullies, treating your overbite can have serious benefits for your health.
Delaying orthodontic treatment for your overbite could result in exacerbated health issues, such as:
- Chewing food is harder because your teeth don’t meet optimally. The extra effort put into chewing (or “masticating”, if you’re bougie like that) can also create additional tension in your jaw. Decidedly not fun.
- You could be wearing down the back of your teeth while chewing, so your teeth become thinner and weaker. Bacteria can grow easily and there’s a risk it’ll become more painful or difficult to chew over time.
- Buck teeth and overbites can lead to pain or clicking sounds when you move your jaws, which can be more than a little uncomfortable.
- Speaking more with your tongue so you can’t speak as clearly or pronounce certain vowels. You might even develop a lisp!
Invisible braces can fix your overbite
Fortunately, invisible braces can help you correct your overbite. Your dentist may advise you to extract some teeth, since having too many teeth may be the reason why your front teeth are being pushed forward. Braces fix your overbite by applying pressure on your teeth, moving them into new positions that reduce the appearance of an overbite.
If you cringe at the thought of looking like an awkward teenager in front of your colleagues in the office, we feel you. Make sure you take your free smile assessment below so you can find out if we can help you discreetly fix your overbite.
Overbite or no, don’t forget to Smile More!
Don’t ignore your overbite
Delaying treatment could lead to more than a mouthful of problems!
