You want to correct some orthodontic issues, whether that is crowded teeth or maybe a little overlap of teeth. That’s great! Making the decision to straighten your teeth is a fantastic one and we’re happy to see you take the next step at Aesthetic Dental in North Bergen.

What if you only want to make changes on either your upper or lower arch. Sounds simple enough right? But your dentist advises you that you’ll have to work with both arches for your treatment.

Why is this?

Let’s go through why you need to work with both arches even if your only correcting one.

Why do I have to treat both dental arches (upper and lower)?

When fixing anything with your teeth whether that’s crowding, crookedness or spaces, you’re changing your bite. When we say bite, we’re referring to the way your upper and lower jaw come together when your mouth is closed.

When aligning your teeth it’s important to make sure that bite is correct. Now let’s say you want to correct teeth on your lower jaw, if you don’t also treat the upper arch your could negatively impact your bite. The teeth work together, so in order to make adequate space to properly move teeth, both arches need to be moved together.

Not only can ignoring one of the arches affect your bite, it can also cause a dental relapse or the teeth to move back to their original position. For the time spent on braces, we want to ensure the teeth do not shift back to their original position.

Okay, so even if I’m fixing spacing do I still have to do both?

Yes. You’ll have to do both. The arches need to be symmetrical to ensure a good bite, so even if your gap is on your upper teeth, you may have to adjust the bottom as well.

The goal with straightening your teeth is to produce a healthy, straight smile for a long time.

To learn more about straightening your teeth with a top North Bergen dentist, contact us today at Aesthetic Dental to receive a free braces consultation.