Crowding
Crowding is the term for when there is not enough space in your mouth for all of your teeth. This can cause teeth to overlap and grow crooked. Crowding may affect the way you chew and therefore, digest your food.
Spacing
The opposite of crowding, spacing is when there is too much space in your mouth for all of your teeth. This can cause big gaps between teeth, where food may lodge. Another problem that can occur from spacing is infected and inflamed gums.
Overbite
Overbite is a term used to describe when the upper jaw is sitting out past the lower jaw when you bite down. As orthodontists, our focus isn't just on teeth, but on aligning your jaws to ensure you have a correct bite as well.