Crowding
Crowding is when there isn’t enough space in the upper or lower jaw for all of the teeth to line up perfectly, so the teeth overlap and appear crooked. Crowding can make it more difficult to floss and brush properly.
Spacing
Spacing is when there are gaps present between the teeth and there appears to be more room than is needed, either due to smaller teeth, flared front teeth, or larger jaws.
Deep bite
A deep bite is when the top teeth overlap the bottom teeth, sometimes so much that you can’t see the bottom teeth at all. With a deep bite, you might notice some flattening or wearing down of the lower front teeth. In more extreme cases, the lower teeth actually touch the roof of the mouth and can cause trauma or irritation.
Open bite
An open bite is when the top and bottom front teeth don’t overlap when you bite down, so it looks like there is an opening or space between your top and bottom front teeth when you’re biting down.
Protruding upper front teeth
Some people refer to this as an “overbite” or increased overjet, but it just means that the top teeth are further forward compared to the bottom teeth.
Underbite
An underbite is when the lower front teeth are in front of the upper front teeth, usually because the lower jaw is growing faster than the upper jaw.
Crossbite
A crossbite is when the top teeth are on the inside of the bottom teeth. If it is in the back, it is called a posterior crossbite, and if it is in the front, it is called an anterior crossbite. Sometimes the crossbite involves one tooth, and sometimes several teeth are involved.
Ectopic canine
An ectopic canine is a canine that is displaced from its normal position and is following an abnormal path of eruption. It is extremely important to diagnose this early in order to prevent damage to any other permanent teeth in the area.
Missing lateral incisors
Missing teeth has a genetic component, so sometimes missing lateral incisors (or other teeth) runs in families and isn’t a surprise when detected. You might notice that the top two front teeth are spaced out more because the two teeth next to them are missing or maybe a couple baby teeth are in place longer than normal because there isn’t a replacement. An x-ray will diagnose this condition, and there are several great options for treatment.
