Smile Balance: Questions You May Not Have Asked Yet

Do you know whether you have excellent smile balance? If you’re shrugging your shoulders and looking around, then you may not have ever even heard of this before! Rest assured, when you visit our Cleveland, TX practice for a dental checkup, this is most certainly an oral health concern we will point out if it is affecting you. Not sure what to make of this but now that we bring it up, your smile doesn’t close quite as seamlessly as you’d like? Learn more with a Q&A session.

Questions and Answers

Question: My smile doesn’t really feel balanced but I never worry about it because I don’t have cavities. Does the balance of my smile really have anything to do with my oral health?

Answer: Yes! The balance of your smile can strongly affect the health of your smile but it’s not in the way that you’re thinking. It won’t necessarily affect your hygiene-related health (such as, whether you end up with decay, infections, etc.). Instead, it impacts the function of your mouth, which is equally important. Poor balance can cause disorders because your mouth cannot open, close, and work as it should.

Question: So, if smile balance doesn’t cause problems with my oral health in regard to diseases, what types of disorders might it lead to?

Answer: The poor balance of your bite can cause direct damage if you have teeth that grind, hit, tap, etc. against one another every time you speak or chew. You could end up with eroded, chipped, or even cracked teeth. You may also develop disorders like bruxism or TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder. Bruxism (grinding or clenching) or TMD (poorly functioning jaw joints) can develop when you have trouble opening and closing teeth together properly and, instead, rely on unique poses that stress your muscles, ligaments, joints, and more.

Question: What might be making my smile balance so poor?

Answer: Your teeth may have developed in such an organizational pattern that is not aligned. We call this misalignment and it’s often fixable with orthodontic care! You may have old dental work like a bridge or crown that no longer fits well, which affects your balance. See us soon for a definitive diagnosis and care.

See Us For Help With Your Bite’s Balance

When your smile balance is off and you want to protect your oral health, it’s time to see our team for dental care! Call our Cleveland Family Dentistry office in Cleveland, TX, today at (281) 592-1234. We proudly serve patients and their families from Cleveland, Kingwood, New Caney, Conroe, Livingston, Huffman, and all surrounding communities.