Occlusal Disease (Bite Misalignment)
When you bite or chew, enormous pressures are created on your teeth. Your teeth are designed to absorb these pressures which can reach up to 200 pounds per square inch. If your bite is not aligned, top to bottom, these pressures hit the wrong spots on the opposing teeth. And that creates problems.
When teeth are not correctly aligned and pressures don’t hit on the right spots on the opposing teeth, it’s referred to as “occlusal” disease. “Occlusion” is the word that describes the way your teeth fit together.
This problem can exist even if your teeth don’t seem misaligned. Here are some of the problems you might see with occlusal disease:
- You might notice that some of your teeth are sensitive or painful.
- Your jaw muscles get sore.
- You might be diagnosed with broken, chipped or worn teeth.
- Dental work you received in the past may break and need replacement.
- Some teeth may become loose.
- You may have soreness around the temporomandibular joint (located just in front of either ear).
- You might experience headaches.
- Some of your teeth might experience chipping along the gum line.
If you notice these problems, it’s important to consult us as soon as possible. Delaying treatment could damage your teeth so much that you need a complete reconstruction of all your teeth.
You can prevent this expensive reconstruction by contacting us as soon as you notice any of these problems.
By scheduling an appointment for an examination, we can tell you if we notice any early signs of occlusal disease. Please call (201) 943-4000 or schedule an appointment online.
