Exactly How Are Teeth Supposed to Line Up?

Celebrating 88 Years of Practice in 2020! How do Dental Memberships Compare to Insurance Premiums?

Hi! My name’s Jess - I’m the office manager here at Strobel Dentistry and the main contributor to this blog (we usually don’t do first person here so an introduction felt in order 😉 ). I very recently started Sure Smile clear aligner therapy at our office, and aside from mild and irrational fears that I’ll revert to my grade school lisp, I’m pretty excited!

But it got me thinking; since my teeth aren’t in need of extreme movement, I wasn’t even sure I needed orthodontic treatment at all. As it turns out, there are ways your teeth should come together that might just never occur to you if you don’t know what you’re looking for. So how, optimally, should our teeth align?

• FROM THE FRONT:  your upper front teeth should fall in front of your lower teeth (toward your lip), and should overlap them by about 2 mm. Upper and lower front teeth should hit lightly.
• FROM THE TOP (OR BOTTOM): The back teeth should be upright, NOT tipped toward the cheek or tongue. The tips of the cusps should fit into the grooves of the opposite teeth.
• FROM THE SIDE: The upper back teeth should sit on the outside of the lower teeth. When the teeth go side-side, the ONLY teeth that hit should be the canine teeth.

Why Should I Care About My Bite?

Good question! An optimal bite not only allows for clear speech and efficient eating, it:

• prevents muscle/jaw strain that can cause headaches
• Makes teeth easier to clean, preventing decay
• Allows teeth to wear evenly
• Prevents undue stress on teeth that could lead to breaking or cracking

If my adventures in alignment have you curious how your bite measures up, ask us for an assessment at your next visit!