Overbite/ overjet

[Nodentalknowledge]

My 12 year old had their first orthodontist appointment today, after 18 months on the waiting list, for over bite/ over jet.

The fact I’m unclear about the exact problem is part of the issue - the orthodontist’s first language wasn’t English, their accent was heavy, they were brusque and the appointment was very rushed (they were perfectly professional though, this isn’t a complaint thread)

I asked about treatment options and was told “extraction” and then some words I couldn’t follow. Apparently over bite/jet of 10mm.

I am usually pretty assertive but wasn’t prepared for this, I’ll be more on the front foot for next appointment.

However in the meantime, does anyone have any knowledge of possible treatment options? I want to go in prepared.

TIA

Overjet is the horizontal difference between the front teeth, overbite is vertical.So your kid has a too small lower jaw compared to an upper jaw that is too big or if the teeth are also crooked it’s actually the teeth that are too big and too many for the size of the jaw.I assume the idea is to extract the teeth behind the canine (one of the upper small molars on each side) to make space and then retract and straighten the front teeth with braces. That‘ll take at least a year and a half i suppose.

Thank you for taking the time to respond, also the over jet/bite clarification.

And what you've said confirms my discomfort with what the orthodontist seemed to be saying - my child doesn't have too many or crooked teeth. Hence why alarm bells were ringing about talk of extraction.

You could ask for a second opinion. We had this with the first orthodontist my DS saw. His dentist referred him elsewhere and he has had braces with no extraction and his teeth are great. Dentists can have different opinions on what is the best treatment.

The upper jaw can still be too big (bone structure) if the teeth are straight/good looking. An overjet increases the likelyhood of trauma (loss of the tooth or damage to it when the kid falls or gets hit with something) to the front teeth and makes biting things off more difficult.

i‘d also suggest a second opinion.