A Real Reason to Smile

There is nothing more rewarding than feeling like the work you’ve done has helped change a person's life. This month, that person is Abby, and we are so grateful to have given her a new reason to smile.

A little over a year and a half ago, Abby and her parents came in looking for a solution—not just for her overbite, which was creating all sorts of physical problems, but for her confidence as well. For those who do not completely understand what is meant by an overbite, such a problem is caused when the upper teeth do not sit correctly in front of the bottom teeth. Normally, the top teeth overlap the bottom teeth ever so slightly; when they overlap by a great deal, the front teeth create the overbite, while the space between the where the teeth overlap is called the overjet. Sometimes an overbite is caused by the bottom jaw being set too far back. Other times the upper teeth may simply lean forward too much. Either way, overbites are often the cause of unfortunate teasing and low confidence. They can even prevent a person from eating properly and getting the nutrients he or she needs. By catching a problem like this early, an orthodontist can prevent future damage and fix an overbite. Fortunately for Abby and many kids like her, surgery is not usually necessary to correct an overbite. Braces with rubber bands that help move the jaw into its correct position have the ability to make a smile more in line. For adults, on the other hand, it’s a different story. Oftentimes, for them, surgery is required because the teeth are no longer so readily able to move. This is why I recommend that children have their first orthodontic screening by age 7. The sooner an issue such as this is detected, the sooner a plan can be made and a solution reached.

At Benson Orthodontics, we service many issues, including crowding, openbite, deep overbite, missing lateral incisors,
underbite, and spacing. Any of these can cause patients to lack confidence, which can in turn affect their interactions with
the world. For children, it can be a particularly awful time since many are teased, but it isn’t much better in adulthood, when confidence is a necessary quality for dating, socializing, and interviewing for jobs. Being able to rectify these situations at Benson Orthodontics gives us a great deal of pride—the same pride our patients feel when they have new, beautiful smiles to share.

One example of this, of course, is Abby. As her mother, Andrea Moore, can attest, before Abby got her braces, she didn’t smile very much. She kept her head down, no matter what her parents told her. She couldn’t bite down on things properly, and she endured jaw pain. When they were finally able to afford braces, Andrea says, it was the best change they could have made. Even while she was wearing them, something different was happening to Abby. She started smiling simply because she knew that her teeth were making progress. Today, Abby’s overbite is nowhere in sight, she can eat foods she hasn’t had in years, and her jaw pain is gone. Best of all, she smiles constantly, proving that despite her initial nervousness about braces, all her pain and suffering over the past year and a half was worth it.

For Andrea, part of the story’s success came from our abilities to answer any of her or Abby’s questions and put their minds at ease. Being able to answer both the small and large questions is an ability my staff prides itself on, and we too are grateful to have been a part of this process. If you or your child has an overbite, don’t take our word that we can help you; take Andrea’s. She’ll advise anyone to do it “in a heartbeat.” As she knows, it can be a hard, rough road for the kids, but in the end, it’s worth every bit.