Detecting Traumatic Occlusion Early is Important, Says St. Paul Invisalign Provider
EAGAN, ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – There are several reasons why children should be evaluated by an orthodontist by age 7, and among them is identifying potential oral issues that should be corrected while patients are young.
Traumatic occlusion is one condition that orthodontists prefer to address early, mainly because of the serious problems it can lead to when unrecognized, says Eagan and St. Paul Invisalign provider Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth. Patients who bite their nails or are thumb suckers often are victims of traumatic occlusion.
Traumatic occlusion often is referred to as bad bite, and is repeated excessive force when closing the teeth that causes damage to the teeth, the residual ridge, the periodontal tissues and/or other oral structures. The repeated bite force is stronger than the tooth and its neighboring tissues can take, and irreparable damage occurs. Detecting and correcting this in its early stages is important because once the force is halted, the damage will not repair- it is damaged for a lifetime, Eisenhuth says.
A person’s bite exerts 200 pounds of pressure per square inch. When a tooth is positioned improperly within the dental arch, it absorbs more of that biting pressure than it should. This causes traumatic occlusion, which can increase the rate in which periodontal disease progresses if not treated, says Eisenhuth, whose Eagan and St. Paul orthodontics office treats patients with this diagnosis.
In addition to affecting a person’s smile, traumatic occlusion interferes with the mouth’s proper function. Another factor for consideration with this condition is proper alignment of the lower and upper jaw. Jaws that don’t close correctly when a person chews have a high likelihood of developing additional oral complications down the road.
“It bothers me to see traumatic occlusion in extremely young children, particularly when it hasn’t been recognized,” says Eisenhuth, a St. Paul orthodontist. “Not treating traumatic occlusion in its early stages can greatly increase the likelihood of a patient developing periodontal disease.”
The reason behind that is because the constant, excessive biting pressure works to loosen teeth over time and can cause gum recession. That, in turn, can lead to diseased teeth and gums.
“Identifying traumatic occlusion early and treating it immediately are imperative when it comes to preventing additional oral problems,” says the St. Paul braces specialist.
When traumatic occlusion goes unidentified and it progresses, it can lead to occlusal trauma, which can be primary or secondary.
Comprehensive orthodontics often is the best treatment option for traumatic occlusion, says Eisenhuth, who also is a St. Paul Incognito braces provider. Creating proper teeth alignment ensures that the bite forces are evenly distributed among all of the teeth.
About Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth
Dr. Eisenhuth attended the University of Minnesota Dental School and graduated in the top of her class. She earned the Minnesota Association of Orthodontic Achievement Award and several academic achievement awards. She entered her orthodontic residency at the University of Minnesota and earned a certificate in orthodontics and a Master of Science degree.
Dr. Eisenhuth is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.
She takes pride in caring for the orthodontic needs of residents in the Twin Cities- St. Paul and Minneapolis, and their surrounding regions, including St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville, Eagan and Eagan, Minnesota.
Her office is located at 3340 Sherman Court, Eagan, Minn., 55121.
© 2011 Master Google and Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.
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Author Bio: If you would like to learn more about orthodontist St. Paul, and her orthodontics office, or you wish to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth to learn whether you are a St. Paul invisible braces candidate, please call: (651) 406-8100.
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