Bite Occlusion

Occlusion in dentistry means the contact between your teeth when you bite, chew, or close your jaws together. Your teeth, nerves, muscles, and bones all work together to ensure a good bite. But if your bite is off, referred to as “malocclusion“, there can be serious consequences that can cause pain, can affect the way you chew and speak, and can even alter your physical appearance.

Symptoms of a malocclusion are:

• Pain in the jaw joints and surrounding muscles with clicking/popping noises
• Tooth loss/wearing down
• Erosion on the biting surfaces of your back teeth
• Enamel loss
• Erosion of the root surfaces
• Clenching/grinding of the teeth
• Head, neck, and shoulder pain
• Receding gums

If left untreated, malocclusion can lead to injuries to the teeth, tooth loss, muscle pain, tooth sensitivity, chronic headaches, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).