Dental care: Malocclusion, posture and backache |02 October 2021
In the following interview, Stefano Rosso, owner and director of ITALDENT dental clinic in Seychelles, shares with us his knowledge about malocclusion and how it can affect our posture, as well as the treatments which can be applied to restore balance between teeth and posture.
Seychelles NATION: What is malocclusion and how is this condition connected to posture?
Stefano Rosso: Malocclusion of the teeth is when the teeth are misaligned. An altered situation at the orthodontic level of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and dental occlusion can affect the postural attitude and cause a descending postural disorder.
The main postural receptors that aim at regulating posture includes the mouth which includes the mandible (lower jawbone)(makes contact with the skull through the teeth) and the whole temporomandibular system.
Malocclusion can cause the chewing muscles to contract, generating a cascading effect. The result is an imbalance that the body tries to compensate for, creating a series of disturbances for the entire body.
The mandible is articulated to the maxilla (bone that forms upper jaw) through the TMJ and the teeth. This relationship can alter for various reasons and characterise three types of dental classes:
1) Correct occlusion and correct relationship between mandible and maxilla. It does not in itself cause postural alterations (normal condition).
2) Incorrect occlusion with incorrect relationship between mandible and maxilla. The mandible is set back from the maxilla. Generally, a shortening of the anterior muscular chain is observed with an altered postural attitude (the person is bent forward).
3) Incorrect occlusion with incorrect relationship between mandible and maxilla. The mandible is protruded with respect to the maxilla, often with reverse chewing. Generally, a shortening of the posterior muscular chain is observed with an altered postural attitude (the person is tense backwards).
Seychelles NATION: What causes malocclusion?
Stefano Rosso: The origin of malocclusion can have various causes, ranging from genetic aspects, to the lack of one or more teeth, up to the wrong habits that mainly affect children like thumb sucking (open bite).
In adults, the cause is very often found in bruxism, or in the presence of caries that have not been treated properly, with fillings that are too high, or with crowns that are too high.
Seychelles NATION: What are some of the consequences of dental problems on posture?
Stefano Rosso: Some of the negative consequences include:
- Alterations in balance
- Myalgia (muscle aches and pain)
- Reduction of strength
- Tension headaches
- Neck pain
- Tinnitus (ringing or other noises in one or both ears) and visual disturbances
- Scoliosis, kyphosis or lordosis (types of spinal deformities)
Seychelles NATION: How is malocclusion and temporomandibular joint diagnosed?
Stefano Rosso: Expert dentists and dentists can perform objective examinations of the oral cavity, as well as an orthopanoramic (cranial X-ray scan). A postural and cephalometric analysis is also very important, which consists in studying the proportions between skeletal, dental and soft tissue components of the head.
Seychelles NATION: You mentioned that there are dental treatments that can be applied to restore balance. Tell us about these.
Stefano Rosso: It is necessary to intervene in the dental field, to understand the causes of the problem and seek the best solution, in order to restore the balance between teeth and posture. Below are some of the main solutions applied:
- Bite: it is an ideal appliance for bruxism and to protect the oral cavity during sports, as it is able to cushion the vertical friction between the teeth.
- Interceptive devices: the device is a valid support to combat malocclusions, whether it is a mobile, fixed or invisible accessory.
- Occlusal plates: valid help to restore the correct function of the chewing and postural muscles compromised in temporomandibular disorders.
- Implants and fillings: a quality prosthesis can be the solution in case of malocclusion resulting from edentulism (without natural teeth). Filing/remaking treatments are, on the other hand, appropriate if the malocclusion derives from a too high filling.
- Dental extraction: indicated above all for wisdom teeth, in the presence of incomplete eruption or interference with adjacent teeth.
- Surgery: Invasive interventions are reserved for extreme cases, such as congenital malformations (malformation from birth) of the maxilla and/or mandible, which cannot be cured through the interceptor device.
For further information, contact ITALDENT:
- Address: Sunshine House, Providence, Mahé
- Telephone: 4 373 588 or 2 559 663
- Email: rossostefano1@gmail.com
Image sources: Stefano Rosso