First and foremost, what is malocclusion? Malocclusion, simply put, is the misalignment or incorrect positioning of teeth. Edward Angle, a famous figure in dentistry coined the term “malocclusion” (mal- + occlusion = “incorrect occlusion”). With malocclusion, it can be difficult for your teeth to properly serve their purpose and perform vital functions. Healthline highlights that “your teeth should fit easily within your mouth without any crowding or spacing issues.” Ideally, the upper jaw’s teeth slightly overlap the teeth of the lower jaw. Crowded teeth, crossbite, overbite, underbite, and open bite are all considered as malocclusion. Malocclusion, depending on its type and severity, is broken down into three different classes.
Class 1: In this classification, the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth
Class 2 (or retrognathism): Abnormal posterior positioning; the upper teeth severely extend over the lower teeth
Class 3 (or prognathism): In this classification, the lower teeth and jaw extend over the upper teeth and jaw, causing an underbite
So.. what exactly causes malocclusion?
Both genetics and environmental factors are responsible for malocclusion, but genetics lays the keystone in the etiology of skeletal anomalies in most cases. This means, your misaligned teeth are probably passed down to you from your parents or ancestors.
Environmental factors can also modify the shape and structure of the jaw. Healthline points out factors that typically contribute to the deviation of teeth from the ideal bite:
- use of a pacifier after the age of 3
- extended use of bottle feeding in early childhood
- thumb sucking
- injuries leading to a misaligned jaw
- mouth or jaw tumors
- cleft lip and palate
- poor dental care and oral hygiene
- abnormally misshaped or impacted teeth
- incorrect alignment of teeth
- change in the appearance of the face
- biting of the inner cheeks or tongue on a regular basis
- uneasy chewing or biting
- problems in speech (lisp, for instance)
- breathing through the mouth instead of the nose