Genetics is one of the biggest factors behind crowding, gaps, and bite problems — jaw size, tooth size, and the way the upper and lower jaws grow relative to each other are all substantially inherited traits, similar to height or eye color. That said, genetics sets the starting conditions; childhood
A twin block appliance is a two-piece removable device — one piece for the upper jaw, one for the lower — that fits together at an angle to gently guide a growing child’s lower jaw forward, correcting an overbite caused by a lower jaw that’s smaller or positioned further back
A deep bite — sometimes called an excessive overbite — is when the upper front teeth overlap too far down over the lower front teeth, in some cases covering them almost entirely when biting together. It’s corrected with braces, clear aligners, or in some cases a bite plate or growth-guiding
Invisalign attachments are small, tooth-colored bumps bonded directly onto specific teeth to give the aligner tray extra grip for more precise movements, while chewies are small foam cylinders you bite down on to help seat each new tray fully against your teeth. Neither one is optional decoration — both play
Tongue thrust is a swallowing pattern where the tongue pushes forward against or between the front teeth, instead of up against the roof of the mouth, every time a person swallows. Because swallowing happens hundreds of times a day, that repeated forward pressure can gradually push the front teeth out
An open bite is when the upper and lower front teeth don’t touch at all when the back teeth are biting together, leaving a visible gap. It’s usually caused by a combination of genetics and childhood oral habits — things like prolonged thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or chronic mouth breathing
Power chains are a continuous strip of connected elastic links that an orthodontist places over the brackets of your braces to close gaps or shift several teeth in the same direction at once. Unlike an individual rubber band tie, which mostly just holds the archwire in the bracket, a power
A tongue-tie or lip-tie is a piece of tissue — called a frenulum — that’s tighter or shorter than normal, restricting how freely the tongue or lip can move. When one of these ties is significant, it can influence how a child swallows, speaks, and rests their tongue, and over
Headgear is an orthodontic appliance worn outside the mouth, attached to braces with straps or bands, used to guide jaw growth or move upper and lower molars relative to each other in ways that braces alone can’t accomplish. It’s recommended far less often today than it was a generation ago,
