Benny Jeong
bennyjeong218@gmail.com
Sunday, March 27, 2011
How are your teeth?
On page 61, Shubin mentions the development of teeth and the perfect match between the lower and upper set of teeth in the jaw. The opening and closing of our mouth is a precision advantage to chew our food. However, what happens when we have an underbite or an overbite? What causes us to have an underbite or overbite? How does having an underbite or an overbite affect our efficiency in chewing food?
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As the prompt states, Shubin explains on page 61 that when we open and close mouths, our upper and lower teeth align and fit together. Each time we bite, our teeth end up in this exact position. Because our upper and lower teeth are able to fit together so precisely, when we chew, we break up our food with maximum efficiency. However, if our teeth do not align properly, i.e. we have an over/under bite, our teeth can shatter. Furthermore, as Shubin humorously adds, an over or under bite will “enrich our dentists” (Shubin 61). If our teeth are not properly aligned, they can rub together in an undesirable way in which our enamel can deteriorate. Furthermore, our chewing efficiency would be lowered if we had an under/over bite.
ReplyDeleteOther problems that arise from an over/under bite are difficulty while cleaning your teeth, “straining teeth, jaws, or muscles,” and a lower self-esteem because people may “feel self-conscious about their appearance” (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43113#tocb).
Causes of misaligned bites include: inherited traits, early loss of baby and/or adult teeth that would lead to a shifting of the teeth, a bad dentist who improperly fills or caps a tooth, a small jaw, some sort of pressure on the teeth and/or gums, and thumb sucking (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43113#tocb). From personal experience, I developed an overbite at an early age because I sucked my thumb every night. My left thumb was chocolate and my right thumb was vanilla. Fortunately, I did not have a lowered self-esteem, but I did have to get braces--the common solution to an overbite. Other treatments include retainers and, in rare cases, operation.
(Bobby Muttilainen, rmuttilainen@gmail.com)
When any mammal shuts its jaw, its teeth should fit nearly perfectly together due to the precise occlusion that it has. Our accurate chewing allows us to cut through our food more efficiently than reptiles, which lack precise occlusion. Underbites, overbites, and any other "incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches" all fall under the term malocclusion(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malocclusion). Malocclusion interferes with proper chewing and can also lead to jaw pain, increased chances for tooth decay and gum desease, and speech interference. It can also lead to Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ Disorder), which can cause ear pain, ear ringing, and headaches. Reptiles usually need to replace their teeth over and over again because their teeth wear and break down, and malocclusion gives similar results of wearing down (although usually not as extreme). Through evolution, mammals have developed more durable teeth than reptiles, allowing them to live their full lives with only two sets of teeth. So, as Bobby stated, our chewing efficiency would be worsened with an overbite or underbite.
ReplyDeleteMalocclusion can be hereditary or caused by bad chewing habits, abnormalities in the jaw bone, teeth grinding, and thumb sucking. More obvious causes would be activities that are harmful to your teeth/jaws, such as fist fights, biting bricks, or eating nails.
However, as Bobby mentioned, there are multiple methods of treatment to solve the problems caused by an overbite or an underbite, but unlike him, I decided to live with my overbite, giving my parents an extra 3,000-6,000 dollars that was not spent on braces. I now live the hard life, without being able to use my teeth to their fullest potential.
Sources:
Your Inner Fish (Shubin)
http://www.dentalcaresource.com/conditions/underbite.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malocclusion
http://www.medicinenet.com/temporomandibular_joint__disorder/article.htm
...Austin Lee(austinklee7@gmail.com)
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