An underbite is when the lower front teeth bite over the upper front teeth. This is the opposite of how a normal bite is supposed to be arranged. It could be named a reverse bite and is sometimes cruelly called a bull dog bite. It's opposite of an overbite and is often referred to as a Class III malocclusion. Most patient with this type of malocclusion do not like it.

          In almost all cases, an underbite is caused by nasal obstruction, mouth breathing and a tongue thrust. The tongue has to stay down so it doesn't block air from getting in. Many tongue thrust patients brace their tongues against the sides of their lower jaws and lower teeth when they swallow. This constant pressure causes the lower jaw to overgrow and creates a mismatch between the larger lower jaw and smaller upper jaw. The result is that only the back teeth touch.

          An underbite is almost always caused by nasal allergies that cause the inside of the nose to overgrow. If jaw surgery is performed to realign the upper and lower jaws without correcting the tongue thrust and allergies, there will probably be some relapse. The tongue has to go somewhere and if you make the tongue's space smaller by reducing the size of the lower jaw, the tongue will fight back.     

          The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. They offer comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry for patients of all ages. If you have an underbite problem and would like a free orthodontic consultation with our Atlanta Family Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, make your appointment by calling 404-874-7428.