Do you have a poor bite? Do you experience any of the following?
- You clench your jaw muscles for long periods of time
- When you wake up in the morning, your jaw muscles feel tired and sore to the touch
- You experience pain behind the eyes
- You grind your teeth while you are sleeping.
- Your jaw clicks and pops upon opening.
- Your head or scalp feels painful when you touch it.
- Your ears ache or you hear ringing.
- You have neck, shoulder, or back pain.
- You feel dizzy.
If you said yes to any of the above, you may have a poor bite, which is also known as occlusal (bite) disease. Hard to believe that having a poor bite is actually a disease? Well, it is. A disease is referred to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, etc. Having a poor bite is a condition that can cause these things. When you bite down, your upper and lower teeth come together with muscles, pushing against your skull. If you have an uneven bite, missing teeth, or improperly aligned teeth, your muscles work harder to bring the teeth together which may cause them to be strained. If you clench or grind your teeth, the strain only increases.
Occlusal disease can have many effects on your teeth, such as: wear, sensitivity, cracks, loose teeth, breaking teeth, sore muscles, painful jaw joints, and headaches. All these things would need to be addressed individually in the future if your occlusal disease goes untreated or unidentified. So, working with your dentist and recognizing occlusal disease as early as possible will not only increase the probability you will have young teeth at an elderly age, but also minimize future problems and treatments. Occlusal disease does present a little challenge because it does not always present itself obviously. It is often masked by an obvious injury, like a broken tooth. So, it is extremely important for us to work together.
Through study casts (models of your teeth) and occlusal (bite analysis) we can evaluate the signs and symptoms of occlusal disease, especially in the early stages. It is important to look into the future. Gathering all the information about what's happening today with your teeth will impact your teeth five, ten, twenty and more years from now. If you could avoid future bridgework, crowns, and repairs that many adults experience wouldn't you wan to? That's why it is important to recognize and address the signs of occlusal disease in the early stages.

If you find out you have occlusal disease, the usual first step of treatment is to wear a "bite splint". A "bite splint" is a hard acrylic appliance that fits snugly over your upper or lower teeth. Temporarily, it creates a perfect bite for you helping you experience a comfortable, stable, solid bite. With this you can feel what a difference it makes on your teeth, your muscles and your jaw. Over time, your symptoms of occlusal disease should diminish (the amount of time depends on the severity and the particular case). Then the final treatment can be determined from the information received from the "bite splint" treatment.