Some teenagers have enlarged front teeth, often called Buck Teeth The teeth are very prominent, standing out from the front of the teens mouth and lead to much personal embarrassment.

Quiet often the teen is scorned and teased by his/her peers and compared to being a rabbit . . . “ Here comes rabbit teeth”!!

What Are Buck Teeth?

The technical term used for buck teeth is ‘Overbite’ which refers to a type of Malocclusion. The two upper front teeth are pushed forward and are prominently displayed, often to the point of resting on the lower lip, especially when the teen is relaxed or sitting.

Surrounding teeth may also be pushed forward in an arc, but these are usually hidden by the lips, so it is only the front teeth which stick out prominently.

Some Causes of Buck Teeth

n  Very often Buck Teeth can be a hereditary problem, having been passed down from previous generations.

n  Sometimes it can have its origin in infancy, if as a baby, the affected teen was a continual ‘thumb sucker’ or ‘tongue thruster’.

In severe cases of overbite and buckteeth, it can seriously affect the persons appearance, and lead to speech impediments and difficulty in chewing food. Because of the chance of such problems, and the obvious personal embarrassment suffered it is important to seek help, and have the buck tooth situation corrected as soon as possible.

Treatment For Buck Teeth.

Dentists can readily treat this condition in the teen and there are a variety of dental appliances which can be used, the most common of which is the orthodontic brace which in turn certainly has proven to be the most effective way of correcting buck teeth.

Orthodontic Braces.

n  These braces are a combination of wires, bands and brackets.

n  The brackets are attached to the teeth and held in position by precisely designed bands.

n  As the braces are slowly tightened over time, usually once a month, tension is slowly being applied to the buck teeth and they are eased into their correct position in the mouth.

n  This brace tightening also tends to move the buck teeth into their correct position in the jaw line.

The corrective treatment does not work overnight! Sometimes it can take a few years for the buck teeth to be corrected, since the buck teeth can only respond slowly to the step by step tightening of the tooth braces month by month.

However, disregarding the longish time factor and the discomfort of the braces, a profound change for the better, in the teens appearance, will be seen at the end of the orthodontic brace treatment.

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