The Misaligned Jaw

The Misaligned Jaw

When we consider orthodontics, we may be thinking specific to crooked teeth, but we would be wrong to leave it there, those "crooked teeth" are a sign of misalignment in our oral posture which can undermine how we speak, eat, sleep, breathe and grow.

The scope of Orthodontic Care takes in oral posture beyond the simple esthetics of our face, to outline underlying health issues inherent to misalignment, concerns that can eventually present as broken, decaying teeth, gum disease and the hinge joint wear of TMJ; as well, jaw-obstructed breathing patterns cause poor sleep which can play a part in myriad adult maladies such as high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

While culture and heredity shape us in the womb, the environment then takes hold of our form, particularly our faces, as we breathe and eat our way through the world. Centuries ago, the vigorous chewing of forager-hunters created strong jaws, well-suited to wisdom teeth, today's modern diet of softer, sometimes pulverized foods, possibly attributable to the introduction of agriculture and meal preparation, may have led to the improper development of our oral facial health resulting in crowded, narrow jaws and often impacted third molars which we then must remove.

It's progress with a pang, as our genes set out to catch up to culture.

All societies connect their eras using stepping stones, for the era of the misaligned jaw, we have the orthodontist office, and ours, CenturyCitySmiles is open to assess, intervene in and forestall dental impediments with state-of-the-art Orthodontic Care.

Author

Century City Orthodontics Dr. Shawn Saidian