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Did you know that your oral bite and your posture are both interconnected? We explore how a misaligned bite can impact your oral and neck posture here.
You may think that having a misaligned bite (malocclusion) affects only the aesthetics of your smile, so you might be putting off that orthodontic treatment because of it. However, there’s many more implications that malocclusions can have for your health. In fact, studies have shown that a misaligned bite can affect your oral and neck posture.
Because a malocclusion can have such a negative impact on your health, our team led by Farid Hanachi, DDS, PA, at Hanachi Orthodontics located in Gastonia and Mooresville, North Carolina, want you to know more about how improving your bite can improve your well-being as a result.
The relationship between posture and oral bite
Both neck and oral posture (where your tongue sits in your mouth) are intimately connected with the alignment of your bite. You can test this by biting your teeth together with a neutral head position and then biting down again with your head tilted down. Do you notice how your bite changes depending on your posture? Not only does your posture affect your bite, but your bite also impacts your posture.
This is because your posture is a balancing act of gravity and muscle stability. Where your tongue sits in your mouth and how your bite is aligned are both players in this balancing act. If you have any sort of malocclusion or your oral posture isn’t what it should be, it’s going to be more difficult for your neck to keep your head in a proper position.
When you have a misaligned bite and therefore poor oral and neck posture, you might start to suffer from muscle pain under your chin as well as headaches. You might also start to develop temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder which can lead to jaw popping, jaw pain, and difficulties opening your mouth.
How to improve your bite and posture
The best way to fix your bite is with orthodontic treatments such as braces or clear aligners. By putting your bite into proper alignment, it should allow your tongue to be able to rest in a natural state and the balancing act of good head posture to become much easier.
You may have to work on relearning proper oral and neck posture after your misaligned bite is treated. There are different stretches and techniques you can try in order to consciously correct your posture.
If you’ve been struggling with side effects of poor posture such as headaches and muscle pain, a misaligned bite could be the culprit. Fixing your bite could do wonders for the health of your mouth and the rest of your body.
To set up a consultation about what orthodontic treatment might work best for you and your malocclusion, contact our team by giving us a call at 704-865-9889 or using our online booking tool today.