This is the follow-up to Rabbit Teeth & Misalignments. A clear and simple explanation, definitions, and progression.
Thoughts on good teeth alignment
The answer to this must involve palate expansion rather than tooth extraction. Moreover, mewing (putting tongue on roof of mouth) cannot address the change in position of the bottom jaw and its resorption. I suspect a device that you use to push the teeth outward into the right positions can be effective, but it is yet to be invented. Though are Maxillary Skeletal Expansion (MSE) tools that look like a spider, it is invasive due to putting screws on your top palate.
You should avoid any extractions. Even extraction of the lower third molars leads to bone resorption, inward tilting of bottom teeth, change of angle of the bottom jaw, and then excess gumminess on the top jaw.
Vocabulary
- Rabbit teeth: the narrow dental arches caused by tooth extractions and subsequent bone loss
- Happens usually with premolar extractions & third molar extractions (total of 8 teeth)
- Excess gumminess: shifting of the upper jaw downwards due to resorption of the lower jaw due to third molar extractions, causing the bottom jaw to tilt upwards and the top teeth to shift forwards
- Often due to bottom third molar extractions
- Side dislocation: happens in people for a variety of reasons, such as TMJ dislocation. Noticable through the alignment of their bottom teeth with their nose.
- Often one tooth will be tilted outward
- Gumline is not horizontal
- Even if teeth are straightened the face asymmetry remains
- Inward tilting teeth: often caused by braces pushing the teeth in for alignment or bone loss due to extractions.
Rabbit Teeth, Narrow Dental Arches Examples
Excessive Gumminess
Side Dislocation
Normal Teeth
Not too many examples of this.
