At Morita Orthodontics, we understand and appreciate your desire to have a beautiful healthy smile. Crooked teeth, or malocclusion, can get in the way of that smile you deserve. There are many types of complications that can create crooked teeth. Our Honolulu orthodontists are experts in assessing any of the individual challenges below and determining the best treatment options for you to achieve a new, beautiful smile.
An underbite is characterized by the lower jaw extending out, causing the lower front teeth to sit in front of the upper front teeth. To correct an underbite, your Honolulu orthodontist may rely on orthodontic appliances or even jaw surgery.
Spacing problems may be caused by missing teeth, or they may only be a cosmetic or aesthetic issue. Sometimes spaces are caused by a tongue thrust habit or periodontal disease and can worsen with time, allowing the teeth to become loose and painful.
The appearance and function of your teeth are impacted by this type of bite, sometimes called an overjet. It is characterized by the upper teeth extending too far forward or the lower teeth not extending far enough forward. Studies show that children who have serious overjet have a greater tendency for low self-esteem and are teased at school more than their peers with normal overjet.
Crowding occurs when teeth have insufficient room to erupt from the gum. When left untreated, overly crowded teeth can get worse over time, and result in severely crooked teeth. This crowding can lead to plaque accumulation, tooth decay and an increased chance of gum disease. Crowding can often be corrected by expansion, and many times, tooth removal can be avoided.
The upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth, which may cause tooth stratification and misaligned jaw growth. A unilateral posterior crossbite is what occurs when your upper teeth fall inside your lower teeth on one side when you bite down. An anterior crossbite, which is similar to an underbite, is what occurs when your top front teeth fall behind your lower front teeth when you bite down.
The upper front teeth extend out over the lower front teeth, sometimes causing the lower front teeth to bite into the roof of the mouth. Overbites are most common in children and are often treated with braces.
Proper chewing is impacted by an openbite, in which the upper and lower front teeth do not overlap. Essentially, the problem is caused by any action by the patient which puts a strain on the alignment of the teeth, especially when the patient is young. Openbites may be caused by habits like thumb sucking or tongue thrusting.
This type of problem is caused when the back bite does not fit and match appropriately, which may negatively impact jaw and proper dental function.
The specialists at Morita Orthodontics are expert in diagnosing your crooked teeth and developing a cost-effective treatment plan to help. Contact us today to make an appointment for your free consultation in our Honolulu office - (808) 941-3355 or our Aiea office (808) 486-5505. Drs. Randal and Scott Morita will be happy to examine your teeth and put you on the path to that one-of-a-kind smile you’ve only dreamed of.
Orthodontic treatment can truly transform smiles and people’s lives. Our staff treats mild to severe cases on a daily basis.
These are some examples of orthodontic problems we can correct.
In this patient’s case, the “eye” teeth are up higher than normal and the upper jaw has crowding.
Back to Top
This patient’s upper jaw has spacing and front teeth overlap severely.
Back to Top
This patient’s front teeth do not touch normally, forming an openbite.
Back to Top
The patient’s upper front teeth extend out over the lower front teeth, forming an overbite.
Back to Top
In this case, the upper teeth are inside the lower teeth, which is also known as an underbite.
Back to Top
The specialists at Morita Orthodontics are expert in diagnosing your crooked teeth and developing a cost-effective treatment plan to help. Contact us today to make an appointment for your free consultation in our Honolulu office – (808) 941-3355 or our Aiea office (808) 486-5505. Drs. Randal and Scott Morita will be happy to examine your teeth and put you on the path to that one-of-a-kind smile you’ve only dreamed of.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with us, you can fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at our Honolulu office at (808) 941-3355 or our Aiea office at (808) 486-5505. We can’t wait to hear from you!
RE: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
To our valued patients,
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), President Trump, the American Dental Association and the Hawaii Dental Association are recommending all dentists postpone nonemergency dental procedures for 2 weeks. Our practice is committed to protecting the community and avoiding using valuable resources that our first responders and frontline healthcare providers will need.
Our office will be closed effective today, Wednesday, March 18, and we plan to resume regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. If you are experiencing a true dental emergency including swelling or severe tooth pain, please call your general dentist office, and listen closely as emergency contact info will be available. For all nonemergent questions, please email us at [email protected].
We are so sorry for the burden this places on your schedules, but your continued health and safety are our number one priority. Our office is working diligently to reschedule all patients with existing appointments within the next 2 weeks. We will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves and determine on a weekly basis when it is appropriate for us to return to normal orthodontic patient care. We ask for your compassion and understanding at this time as we all work together to keep Hawaii healthy.
Sincerely,
Your Morita Orthodontics Ohana
