When the upper jaw is behind the lower jaw, the condition is termed as underbite. It is a form of malocclusion. Underbite is also termed as “Bad Bite”. In medical terms, underbite is referred as “Mandibular Prognathism”.
What Causes Underbite?
It is usually a birth defect. It is nothing but a misalignment of the lower jaw corresponding to the upper jaw. It is reported that in some ethnic groups this condition is more prevalent than the general population. The chances of people with conditions called gigantism are affected with Underbite condition are very high.
Underbite can also be caused due to thumb sucking and thrusting the tongue outside against the teeth in early childhood.
Effects of Underbite
- Underbite can cause your lower jaw to look big. This can cause an asymmetric face severely affecting the way you look.
- People with severe underbite issue can have speech issues.
- If the underbite is severe, there is chronic pain in the jaw. This pain is because of the stress to the jaw joint.
- The most notable effects of underbite is the difficulty in eating.
- Underbite can cause mouth breathing which eventually can cause dry mouth resulting in more gum issues and dental caries. This condition invariably causes bad breath.
- Invariably people with underbite conditions also suffer from sleep apnea and snoring.