Our Blog

Do you find yourself often pondering over your excessive overbite? Are you worried that your top teeth protrude too far over your bottom teeth? Welcome to the Packard Family Orthodontics blog! In McKinney and Anna, Texas, we understand your concerns and are here to guide you through your journey towards a perfect smile. In this blog, we will talk about how to correct an excessive overbite without the need for surgery, but rather, using safe and effective orthodontic treatments.

Firstly, let's clarify a common misconception. When most people mention an 'overbite,' they are actually referring to what orthodontists call 'overjet.' A little overjet is normal and, in fact, necessary as the top teeth should ideally be slightly in front of the bottom teeth. However, the issue arises when the overjet is excessive. This condition can be a result of the lower jaw bone being set far back compared to the upper jaw bone. If you're experiencing this, it's time to book an appointment with your orthodontist.

The Importance of Growth Modification

An effective and safe method of overbite correction involves a technique called 'growth modification.' Growth modification is a fascinating concept that involves controlling the growth direction of the jaw to minimize overjet. Although the size of your lower jaw, or mandible, is genetically determined, we can modify its growth pattern.

Imagine your lower jaw as an arrow pointing backward because of the excessive overjet. What growth modification does is that it repositions this 'arrow' to point more forward, and then this new position is maintained for several months to a year. This process enables your lower jaw to adapt and grow into this new position, creating a more balanced jaw structure and reducing the overjet. Timing this process to coincide with a child's peak growth spurt (around 10.5 - 11 years for girls, and 12.5 - 13 years for boys) can yield optimum results.

Tools We Use For Growth Modification

At Packard Family Orthodontics in Anna and McKinney, Texas, our favorite tool for growth modification is the Herbst appliance. Other practices may also use devices like MARA and headgear. While there are devices you can remove, such as rubber bands, we recommend considering something that's glued in place for more predictable results. Though these fixed devices might seem daunting, they often provide a more effective outcome.

Now, growth modification might not be a silver bullet for everyone. Sometimes, the discrepancy in the jaw is so significant that a combination of growth modification and tooth extraction may be required. In some rare cases, the best way to correct the problem could be surgery. But rest assured, for most people, much can be accomplished with growth modification.

Wrapping Up

So, if you're dealing with an excessive overbite, don't wait! Visit your orthodontist to discuss if growth modification could be an option for you. Here at Packard Family Orthodontics, we are passionate about creating beautiful smiles and would love to help you on your journey.

We hope you found this blog post informative. If you have experienced growth modification to help fix overjet, we would love to hear about your journey. Leave a comment below, and consider subscribing to our blog for more insights into the world of orthodontics.

Remember, it's always a good time for some PFO (Packard Family Orthodontics) insights! Now that you know where you're going with your orthodontic concerns, we're ready to help guide you every step of the way. Packard out!

When most patients ask Meredith Packard this question, they're thinking strictly about sugar content — cut out the bacteria-feeding sugar that's present in regular soda by opting for a diet soda and it will be better for your teeth. That seems logical, right? Well, there's a bit more to it than that. Let's take a closer look at how any kind of soda can affect your dental health.

Diet Soda – Why it can also lead to tooth decay

The main culprit in these drinks that leads to decay is the acid content. Diet sodas and other sugar-free drinks are usually highly acidic, which weakens the enamel on your teeth and makes them more susceptible to cavities and dental erosion. The level of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and/or tartaric acid is usually high in sugar-free drinks so it's best to avoid them.

Some patients also enjoy drinking orange juice or other citrus juices. These drinks are high in citric acid and have the same effect on the enamel of your teeth.

So what about regular soda?

We know the acidity of diet sodas and sugar-free drinks contributes to tooth decay, so what about regular soda? Like we alluded to earlier, regular soda is high in sugar — a 12 ounce can contains roughly ten teaspoons of sugar — and sugar feeds the decay-causing bacteria in the mouth. This also includes sports drinks and energy drinks, which are highly acidic and loaded with sugar too. So these drinks are a double-whammy of sugar and acidity your teeth and body simply don't need.

The problems caused by both diet and regular soda is exacerbated when you sip on them throughout the day. If you drink it all in one sitting, you won't be washing sugar and/or acids over your teeth all day long and your saliva will have a chance to neutralize the pH in your mouth.

The best beverages to drink and how to drink them

Drinking beverages that are lower in acid is a good step to take to keep your enamel strong. According to a study conducted by Matthew M. Rodgers and J. Anthony von Fraunhofer at the University of Michigan, your best bets are plain water, black tea or coffee, and if you opt for a soda, root beer. These drinks dissolved the least amount of enamel when measured 14 days after consumption of the beverage.

If you still choose to drink soda, diet soda, sugar-free drinks, or juices here are some other tips to lessen tooth decay:

• Drink your soda or acidic beverages through a straw to minimize contact with teeth
• Rinse with water immediately after consumption of the beverage
• Avoid brushing your teeth between 30 minutes to an hour after drinking the beverage as this has been shown to spread the acids before your saliva can bring your mouth back to a neutral pH
• Avoid drinks that have acids listed on the ingredients label

Still have questions about soda, sugar, and acid? Give our McKinney, Texas office a call and we’d be happy to help!

A clean mouth is a happy mouth. And when Meredith Packard and our staff see you have a clean mouth, we are happy too. Of course, all of this should make you happy because you’re the one preventing sneaky little food bits from getting trapped under the wires of your braces.

Still, you need to be thorough with your brushing. When you have braces, you’re playing a game of hide-and-go-seek with everything you eat. Here are five tips to keep your mouth (and us) happy.

1. How is brushing with braces like geometry? It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down. Brush the bottom of your teeth with the brush angled up. Pointy brushes, aka interproximal brushes, are good for reaching the tiny spots around braces.
2. Brush after every meal. If those sneaky little food bits hide in your mouth for very long, they’ll turn into plaque. And plaque is a sign of a very unhappy mouth.
3. Brush one tooth at a time for at least ten seconds, and pay close attention to the spots where your braces touch your teeth.
4. Fluoride is your new BFF. Make sure your toothpaste and mouthwash contain this cavity-fighting ingredient.
5. Braces are no excuse not to floss. In fact, saying you can’t floss because you have braces is like saying the dog ate your homework. Meredith Packard and our staff, like your geometry teacher, aren’t going to buy it. Be sure to floss after every meal.

Orthodontists like Meredith Packard recommend a first orthodontic visit and evaluation for your child around the age of seven. We will evaluate your child’s jaw and facial development and make sure that there is enough room in the mouth for the permanent teeth when they arrive. One of the recommendations we might make for early treatment is the use of a palatal expander. If you are unfamiliar with this device, let’s take a closer look at why it’s necessary and what exactly it does.

Why do we recommend the palatal expander?

There are two dental arches, composed of the upper and the lower teeth, in your child’s mouth. This arch-shaped design is meant to accommodate all the permanent teeth. Further, when the upper and lower teeth meet, they should result in a healthy occlusion, or bite.

Sometimes, the upper dental arch is simply too small to accommodate all of your child’s permanent teeth, leading to crowding, extractions, and impacted teeth. Also, a too-narrow arch can result in a crossbite, where some of the upper teeth bite inside the lower ones. An improper bite can lead to problems such as TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder, improper wear and stress on teeth, certain speech difficulties, and other potential complications. The palatal expander was designed to prevent these problems from occurring.

What is a palatal expander and how does it work?

The expander itself is a device that increases the size of the upper dental arch. Before your child’s bones are finished growing, the space between the two bones of the upper palate is filled with cartilage. This tissue is flexible when children are young, but gradually fuses solidly into place by the time they are finished growing (usually in the early to mid-teens). If the arch can be widened to accommodate the emerging permanent teeth, or to reduce malocclusions, this improvement can also affect the need for, and length of, future dental work.

There are several types of expanders available at our McKinney, Texas office. These are custom-made appliances, commonly attached between the upper teeth on each side of the jaw. The two halves of the device are connected with a screw-type mechanism that can be adjusted to widen the upper palate and dental arch with gentle pressure. This is a gradual process, with small adjustments usually made once or twice a day to slowly move the bones further apart. As weeks go by, you will notice a successful change in the spacing of the teeth. Your child might even develop a gap in the front teeth, which is normal and will generally close on its own.

If you would like more detailed information, talk to Meredith Packard about the palate expander. We can tell you what to expect from this treatment if we think it is best for your child’s unique needs, and how to make it as easy as possible for your child. Our goal is to provide your child with the healthiest teeth and bite possible, always making use of treatments that are both gentle and effective.