Calgary Orthodontist Explains Bite Problems and Fixes

Posted on 2026-01-28 15:17:40

Walk into any Calgary coffee shop during hockey playoffs and you’ll spot at least one fan grinning through a chipped incisor. Teeth tell stories. Some are puck related, most are quieter: a jaw that clicks every time you yawn, a child whose front teeth never quite meet, an adult who grinds through night guards like they’re sunflower seeds. As a Calgary Orthodontist, I spend my days listening to these stories and translating them into something practical: what’s going on with your bite, how it affects more than your smile, and which fixes make sense in real life.

Let’s unpack bite problems like we would a new set of skis, carefully and with an eye for fit. Orthodontics is not only about straight teeth. It’s the choreography between your jaws, muscles, and joints. Get that wrong and you can expect a cascade of issues from gum recession to headaches. Get it right and you can chew a steak, pronounce “snow squall” clearly, and keep your enamel out of harm’s way.

What a “bite” really means

Your bite, or occlusion, is how your upper and lower teeth meet when your jaws close. It sounds simple. It isn’t. A healthy bite distributes forces evenly, protects the front teeth during side movements, and lets the jaw joint glide without strain. In orthodontics, we map this out like a city planner checks traffic patterns. We look at overjet (how far the top teeth sit ahead of the bottom), overbite (how much the top teeth overlap the bottom vertically), midlines, crossbites, and the relationship between the molars and canines on each side. Then we check the jaw joints and the muscles that power them.

If you’ve ever noticed one tooth wearing faster than its neighbor, that’s a traffic jam. If your bottom front teeth bump the backs of the top teeth when you try to bite into a sandwich, that’s a detour. These small misalignments lead to big problems over time.

The cast of common bite problems

Picture a few archetypes I see weekly in the clinic. Names changed, stories real.

The overbite scholar: An eight-year-old who reads at a grade ahead, and whose top front teeth overlap the bottom teeth by more than half. He tucks his lower lip behind the uppers and breathes through his mouth at night. He complains of nothing. His lower front teeth, however, are wearing like old gravel. The open bite singer: A teenager whose front teeth don’t touch at all. She can’t bite noodles cleanly and overuses her back teeth. She sang in choir for years, tongue thrusting forward to shape vowels. Her jaw joints feel tender after heavy rehearsals. The crossbite cowboy: A contractor in his forties with a single upper lateral incisor trapped behind the bottom teeth. He only chews on the left side, wonders why the gums on that one lower tooth are receding, and brushes like he’s sanding a deck. The underbite engineer: A twenty-six-year-old with a prominent lower jaw. He’s brilliant, he’s precise, and he’s tired of people asking whether he’s chewing gum when he’s just at rest. He has had stomach upset for years because he avoids crunchy foods. The crowding commuter: A mother who straightened teeth with mail-order aligners and now can’t floss between two lower incisors. Her bite never settled, so her front teeth keep wandering back into traffic.

These are not cosmetic footnotes. They are functional issues. Bite problems affect speech clarity, chewing efficiency, jaw joint health, gum stability, and long-term tooth survival.

How bite problems happen

Nature and nurture both have their say.

Genetics sets the architectural blueprint. If your parents passed down a small upper jaw or a broad lower one, you might inherit an underbite or crowding. Growth patterns matter. A tongue that rests low or thrusts forward can nudge the front teeth open. Thumb and finger habits, prolonged bottle or pacifier use, and chronic mouth breathing due to allergies or enlarged adenoids change the way jaws grow. Even a single baby tooth lost early can shift the neighborhood, making room where none should exist.

Adults often develop bite changes from cumulative wear, compromised teeth, or gum disease. When a molar is lost and not replaced, the opposing tooth erupts further out. The neighbors tilt. Before long, the bite no longer fits and the jaw muscles tighten to compensate. Grinding, especially under stress, further deforms the surfaces and deepens the bite. It’s rarely one thing. It’s several small pushes in the same direction.

What bite problems feel like day to day

Patients tend to adapt until they can’t. One tells me her jaw feels stiff every morning. Another mentions canker sores where the edges of the teeth nick the cheeks. A parent notices a child chewing slowly, leaving carrot sticks untouched. Runners complain their teeth click when they breathe hard through their mouth. More than a few report neck tension and afternoon headaches.

An uneven bite is like a chair with one short leg. Your body spends energy on micro-corrections. In the short term you manage. In the long term you pay in enamel loss, chipped edges, notches on the roots, receding gums, and strained joints.

Why timing matters, especially for kids

There’s a window where Calgary braces growth can be your ally. In Calgary we see a lot of mouth breathing in winter, partly from dry air and congestion. If a nine-year-old has a narrow upper jaw and a crossbite, a palatal expander can correct the width in a few months, guide the nasal airway, and stop the lower jaw from shifting. Try that at 25 and you are talking about surgical assistance or more involved alternatives.

With overbites, early interceptive Orthodontics can reduce risk of trauma to protruding incisors. I have seen kids crack a front tooth on a trampoline, a coffee table, or a backyard rink. Bringing those teeth back under the protection of the lips lowers that risk. For underbites from a underdeveloped upper jaw, a face mask appliance during a specific growth phase can change the trajectory and avoid jaw surgery later.

Early doesn’t mean throwing braces at every eight-year-old. It means identifying which bite problems benefit from growth modification, then stepping in with the lightest, shortest intervention that makes a difference.

Adults are not out of luck

The notion that you can’t move teeth after high school is a myth. Adults have slower bone turnover, but the biology responds at every age. I treat plenty of patients in their fifties and sixties who opt for clear aligners or Calgary braces. The difference with adults is that we must account for restorations, gum health, bite wear, and sometimes missing teeth.

An adult open bite from tongue posture often needs a team: the Orthodontist to align and coordinate the arches, a myofunctional therapist or speech-language pathologist to retrain tongue position, and a dentist to restore worn edges after the bite is stable. Sequence matters. Alignment first, habit retraining concurrently, restorations last.

How we diagnose bite problems properly

A good Orthodontic exam is part engineering, part detective work. We start with a bite analysis in three planes: front to back, side to side, and vertical. We check how your jaw joints open and whether they deviate. We look at the wear map on your teeth; it reads like tree rings. Photographs reveal asymmetries the mirror hides. Digital scans let us simulate movement and spot interferences. When growth or airway is a factor, we review a child’s sleep history and posture. If surgery is on the table, we use 3D imaging to plan with millimeter precision.

One practical detail patients notice immediately: the bite turbos or bite pads we sometimes add early. These small composite ramps on molars or behind the front teeth create space for crowded teeth to pass by each other without locking the bite. They feel strange for a week, then your muscles adapt and your teeth can move freely.

The main bite problems, explained plainly

Overjet and overbite often get confused. Overjet is horizontal distance. If your top front teeth sit 4 to 6 millimeters ahead of the bottom, that’s increased overjet. Overbite is vertical overlap. If the top teeth cover more than half the height of the lowers, that’s a deep bite. You can have one without the other, both, or neither.

Open bite means the front teeth don’t touch when the back teeth are together, leaving a gap you can sometimes whistle through. Crossbite means some upper teeth bite inside the lowers. Underbite is when the lower front teeth sit ahead of the uppers, usually from a strong lower jaw or a small upper jaw. Edge-to-edge bites put upper and lower front teeth right on top of each other, a recipe for chipping.

Crowding and spacing are the supporting actors. They make hygiene harder or create black triangles that trap spinach. They also change how the bite fits, because crooked teeth rarely occlude evenly.

Aligners, braces, or both

Patients ask whether Invisalign can fix their bite. Short answer, often yes. Longer answer, it depends which bite and how severe.

Clear aligners handle many crowding cases, mild to moderate open bites, and overjet reduction well, especially with attachments and elastics. They shine when you need precise vertical control on anterior teeth and when gums require gentle forces. For deep bites in adults, aligners can intrude front teeth while maintaining posterior support, which protects roots and joints.

Braces, especially with auxiliary wires and springs, are terrific for rotations, severe crowding, canine guidance issues, and complex vertical changes. They give the Orthodontist direct control and continuous force, which can be efficient for certain tooth movements. Self-ligating brackets can reduce friction in specific phases, but they are not a magic bullet.

Hybrid treatments are common. I’ll start with braces to derotate stubborn premolars, then switch to Invisalign when we need fine detailing and easy elastic use. Or we might correct a narrow upper jaw with an expander and finish with aligners. The right tool at the right stage beats brand loyalty every time. If you want a discreet option, a seasoned Invisalign provider in Calgary will tell you honestly whether aligners alone can deliver your goals or whether a short brace phase will make the result more stable.

Elastics, mini-implants, and other helpers

Elastics are the quiet workhorses. Those small rubber bands redirect force between upper and lower arches to correct overjet, underbite, and midline discrepancies. Success depends on consistency. I’ve seen elastics worn 20 hours a day cut months off treatment. I’ve also seen a bag of elastics live in a car cup holder while the bite stands still.

Temporary anchorage devices, small titanium pins placed in the gum under local anesthetic, create a stationary anchor when you need to move teeth without moving their neighbors. They help in open bite closure, molar intrusion, and retraction of protrusive teeth. They look intimidating, but most patients compare the sensation to getting an ear pierced. The payoff is high precision with less reliance on patient compliance.

How long does it take and what does it cost

True answer, it varies. Most comprehensive Orthodontics for a bite problem runs 12 to 24 months. Some complex cases, especially those combined with jaw surgery, can take closer to 30 months. Early interceptive phases for kids might last 6 to 10 months with a rest period before a second phase in adolescence. In Calgary, fees for full treatment typically land in the range of several thousand dollars. The spread reflects complexity, appliances used, and whether extra procedures like expanders or TADs are involved. Many clinics offer monthly payment plans that match the treatment duration. Insurance in Alberta often covers a portion up to a lifetime maximum, and pre-authorization is worth the paperwork.

What about jaw surgery

Surgical Orthodontics comes into play when the jaws themselves are mismatched. Think significant underbite with a long lower jaw, severe open bite where the back teeth over-erupted, or asymmetry that affects function and facial balance. We coordinate with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Teeth are aligned first to fit their future positions, surgery repositions the jaws, then we fine-tune the bite. Postoperative recovery typically involves a couple of weeks of swelling and soft foods, and a few months of gradual return to full function. In the right patient, surgery improves airway, chewing efficiency, and joint comfort along with the profile. It is not a shortcut, but it is sometimes the correct road.

Does fixing a bite help with TMJ issues

It can, but not always in the way people expect. Many patients with clicking jaws have normal bites, and many with imperfect bites have quiet joints. If your bite forces your jaw to deviate every time you close, aligning it can reduce muscle strain and joint overload. If clenching is the root cause, Orthodontics alone won’t cure it, but it can make a night guard fit properly and distribute forces safely. We often combine Orthodontics with habit counseling, stress management, and sometimes physiotherapy. Expect honest conversations about what Orthodontics can and cannot do for joint pain.

Hygiene, retention, and the long game

Teeth are not fence posts set in concrete. They are living structures held by gums and bone that remodel all the time. That’s why retainers exist. After any meaningful bite correction, you should expect lifetime retention in some form. At minimum, night-time wear of a removable retainer a few nights a week, forever. For lower front teeth, many patients choose a bonded retainer glued to the inside surfaces. Bonded retainers are low-profile, but flossing is different and occasional repairs happen. I tell patients to think of retainers like their toothbrush: part of daily life, not a temporary gadget.

Hygiene matters more once we move teeth. With braces, angle the bristles toward the gumline and spend extra seconds around brackets. An electric brush makes a difference. With Invisalign, rinse trays with cool water, brush them gently, and avoid hot drinks while trays are in unless you enjoy warped plastic. Calgary’s water is fluoridated, which helps, but a fluoride rinse is still a smart add-on during treatment if you are cavity prone.

Kids, teens, and the Yellowstone effect

If you’re a parent, the toughest part isn’t paying for treatment. It’s the reminder loop. Kids forget elastics, lose aligner cases, and test the definition of chewy. We set them up with simple systems. Elastics go on after brushing, not after breakfast. Aligner cases live in backpacks and beside the console at home, not in napkins at restaurants. The only time we turn into sheriffs is when someone tries to open a bag of beef jerky with bonded braces. Broken brackets stall progress. Your teen can have popcorn on movie night or a shorter treatment. Not both.

Anecdote time: one Calgary teen who played competitive ringette finished Invisalign eight weeks early because she wore trays and elastics like it was a sport. She posted her aligner change on her locker whiteboard and let teammates hold her accountable. We found her approach contagious.

How to choose the right provider

Credentials matter, so does fit. An Orthodontist focuses exclusively on tooth and jaw alignment after dental school, which means thousands of hours solving bite puzzles. If you are weighing options, ask who does the diagnosis and plan, and how much of the treatment is delegated. Ask to see before and afters that match your problem type. If clear aligners are your preference, ask whether the clinic is an experienced Invisalign provider in Calgary with complex case examples, not only mild crowding. If braces are on the table, ask about options and why a certain bracket system suits your case. Look for transparent discussion of risks, limits, and alternatives.

What treatment feels like in the first month

Expect tenderness, not agony. With braces, the first few days feel like a bruise on several teeth. Soft foods help. With aligners, the pressure eases after 24 to 48 hours, then shifts when you change trays. Speech may feel off for a week with aligners as your tongue adjusts. Wax on a bracket hook stops a sore spot from becoming an ulcer. Over-the-counter pain relief is fine. What surprises people most is how quickly their bite awareness improves. You notice where teeth hit early, where they glide cleanly. That feedback helps us fine-tune.

Edge cases and judgment calls

Not every open bite needs heavy mechanics. A mild open bite that only appears when smiling may be aesthetic, not functional. Conversely, a deep bite hiding behind a beautiful smile can be a time bomb for lower incisor wear. Some crossbites are dental, easy to correct with springs or aligners. Others signal a skeletal width issue, where expanders make sense in kids but not in adults without adjunct procedures.

Then there are patients with periodontal concerns. Moving teeth in compromised bone demands lighter forces, slower timelines, and close coordination with a periodontist. Sometimes we choose limited goals: align the upper front teeth for hygiene access and stability, leave the molars alone. Pragmatism keeps smiles healthy.

What success looks like

A good finish isn’t just straight teeth. It’s a bite where the front teeth protect the back teeth during side movements, where molars settle into a stable tripod, where midlines line up with facial features, where the jaw closes without a detour. It’s gums that look happy and pink, not inflamed. It’s a patient who bites into a crisp apple without thinking. On follow-up, we watch for six to twelve months to confirm the bite holds under normal life, not just under clinic lights.

Calgary-specific realities

Our climate plays a role. Dry winter air and long heating seasons mean dry mouths, which raise cavity risk. If you wear aligners, sip water often. If you wear braces, add a fluoride varnish at hygiene visits. Sports culture is strong here, so mouthguards matter. Custom guards fit over braces with room for tooth movement, and aligner wearers should remove trays for contact sports and wear a guard instead. Also, if you’re commuting from Airdrie or Okotoks, choose appointment times that minimize highway stress. Orthodontic visits are happier when you’re not racing the Deerfoot.

When to book an assessment

If your child is seven to eight years old, early screening sets a baseline. If you’re an adult who has noticed chips, gum recession near a single tooth, or a shift in your bite over the last year, it’s worth a look. If you wake with jaw stiffness or your front teeth no longer meet cleanly, earlier is easier. Bring your questions. Bring your goals. We’ll bring the plan.

A simple checklist before you start

Decide what matters most: esthetics, function, speed, or maintenance. Rank them. Gather past dental records, especially X-rays and any sleep or airway evaluations. Ask about pros and cons of Calgary braces versus Invisalign for your specific bite. Clarify total cost, what it includes, and the expected timeline range. Commit to retention. Choose bonded, removable, or both, and plan for life with them.

The bottom line

Bite problems don’t shout. They whisper through wear patterns, gum lines, and little aches that show up after steak night. The good news is that modern Orthodontics gives us a wide toolkit to fix them, from aligners and braces to expanders and mini-implants, and when needed, surgical partners who can reposition the foundation itself. The best fix is the one tailored to your anatomy, habits, and goals.

Whether you’re a kid whose front teeth are too eager, a singer with an open bite, or an engineer with a stubborn underbite, there’s a path. If you want discreet, we’ll be frank about what Invisalign can do for your bite and where Calgary braces or a hybrid make more sense. If you want speed, we’ll show you how consistency beats any gimmick. If you want stability, we’ll talk retention adult braces options like it’s floss, a small habit with a big payoff.

Teeth tell stories. Let’s help yours age well.

6 Calgary Locations)

Business Name: Family Braces

Website: https://familybraces.ca

Email: [email protected]

Phone (Main): (403) 202-9220

Fax: (403) 202-9227

Hours (General Inquiries):
Monday: 8:30am–5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:30am–5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:30am–5:00pm
Thursday: 8:30am–5:00pm
Friday: 8:30am–5:00pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Locations (6 Clinics Across Calgary, AB):
NW Calgary (Beacon Hill): 11820 Sarcee Trail NW, Calgary, AB T3R 0A1 — Tel: (403) 234-6006
NE Calgary (Deerfoot City): 901 64 Ave NE, Suite #4182, Calgary, AB T2E 7P4 — Tel: (403) 234-6008
SW Calgary (Shawnessy): 303 Shawville Blvd SE #500, Calgary, AB T2Y 3W6 — Tel: (403) 234-6007
SE Calgary (McKenzie): 89, 4307-130th Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 3V8 — Tel: (403) 234-6009
West Calgary (Westhills): 470B Stewart Green SW, Calgary, AB T3H 3C8 — Tel: (403) 234-6004
East Calgary (East Hills): 165 East Hills Boulevard SE, Calgary, AB T2A 6Z8 — Tel: (403) 234-6005

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Maps (6 Locations):

NW (Beacon Hill)

NE (Deerfoot City)

SW (Shawnessy)

SE (McKenzie)

West (Westhills)

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Family Braces is a Calgary, Alberta orthodontic brand that provides braces and Invisalign through six clinics across the city and can be reached at (403) 202-9220.

Family Braces offers orthodontic services such as Invisalign, traditional braces, clear braces, retainers, and early phase one treatment options for kids and teens in Calgary.

Family Braces operates in multiple Calgary areas including NW (Beacon Hill), NE (Deerfoot City), SW (Shawnessy), SE (McKenzie), West (Westhills), and East (East Hills) to make orthodontic care more accessible across the city.

Family Braces has a primary clinic location at 11820 Sarcee Trail NW, Calgary, AB T3R 0A1 and also serves patients from additional Calgary shopping-centre-based clinics across other quadrants.

Family Braces provides free consultation appointments for patients who want to explore braces or Invisalign options before starting treatment.

Family Braces supports flexible payment approaches and financing options, and patients should confirm current pricing details directly with the clinic team.

Family Braces can be contacted by email at [email protected] for general questions and scheduling support.

Family Braces maintains six public clinic listings on Google Maps.

Landmarks Near Calgary, Alberta

Family Braces is proud to serve the Beacon Hill (NW Calgary) community and provides orthodontic care including braces and Invisalign. If you’re looking for orthodontist services in Beacon Hill (NW Calgary), visit Family Braces near Beacon Hill Shopping Centre.

Family Braces is proud to serve the NW Calgary community and offers braces and Invisalign options for many ages. If you’re looking for braces in NW Calgary, visit Family Braces near Costco (Beacon Hill area).

Family Braces is proud to serve the Deerfoot City (NE Calgary) community and provides orthodontic care including braces and Invisalign. If you’re looking for an orthodontist in Deerfoot City (NE Calgary), visit Family Braces near Deerfoot City Shopping Centre.

Family Braces is proud to serve the NE Calgary community and offers braces and Invisalign consultations. If you’re looking for Invisalign in NE Calgary, visit Family Braces near The Rec Room (Deerfoot City).

Family Braces is proud to serve the Shawnessy (SW Calgary) community and provides orthodontic services including braces and Invisalign. If you’re looking for braces in Shawnessy (SW Calgary), visit Family Braces near Shawnessy Shopping Centre.

Family Braces is proud to serve the SW Calgary community and offers Invisalign and braces consultations. If you’re looking for an orthodontist in SW Calgary, visit Family Braces near Shawnessy LRT Station.

Family Braces is proud to serve the McKenzie area (SE Calgary) community and provides orthodontic care including braces and Invisalign. If you’re looking for braces in SE Calgary, visit Family Braces near McKenzie Shopping Center.

Family Braces is proud to serve the SE Calgary community and offers orthodontic consultations. If you’re looking for Invisalign in SE Calgary, visit Family Braces near Staples (130th Ave SE area).

Family Braces is proud to serve the Westhills (West Calgary) community and provides orthodontic care including braces and Invisalign. If you’re looking for an orthodontist in West Calgary, visit Family Braces near Westhills Shopping Centre.

Family Braces is proud to serve the West Calgary community and offers braces and Invisalign consultations. If you’re looking for braces in West Calgary, visit Family Braces near Cineplex (Westhills).

Family Braces is proud to serve the East Hills (East Calgary) community and provides orthodontic care including braces and Invisalign. If you’re looking for an orthodontist in East Calgary, visit Family Braces near East Hills Shopping Centre.

Family Braces is proud to serve the East Calgary community and offers braces and Invisalign consultations. If you’re looking for Invisalign in East Calgary, visit Family Braces near Costco (East Hills).