Front teeth that can’t cut food
Describe which foods are difficult and where the front teeth miss. With the examination and any records, that helps distinguish tooth-position findings from jaw factors before a correction is considered.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Treatment for Underbite in Erin
Photos, X-rays, scans, and models each tell part of the underbite story. For anyone coming from Erin or Hillsburgh, we explain what each record shows about tooth positions, the jaws, and growth, so the treatment conversation rests on findings you can follow.
Reading the evidenceAsk what your records would show
What do the records actually tell you?
Seeing the lower front teeth close outside the upper ones raises the question; records help answer it. Images can show how teeth sit within the jaws, models or scans show how the arches fit, and photos capture the face and smile. Together they help show whether tooth position, jaw relationship, or both are behind the bite.
Records add to the examination rather than replacing it. The clinician still checks how the back teeth meet, whether the jaw slides forward on closing, how healthy the gums and enamel are, and growth stage in younger people. No single image, and no family likeness, settles the plan by itself.
From Erin, it may help to know in advance which records could be taken on the first visit. Ask when booking, and bring any earlier X-rays or orthodontic notes. We will explain what the assessment involves and what might follow. Having records taken does not commit you to treatment or point automatically toward surgery.
What brings people in
Start with what you experience.
Your own account guides which records are useful. Mention whether the bite has always looked this way, seems to be changing, or appeared during a child’s growth.
A child’s lower teeth closing in front
Bring it up at a checkup; the dentist can say whether seeing an orthodontist would be useful. Records for children are chosen with growth in mind, and advice on timing is individual. Monitoring is sometimes the first recommendation.
Wear, damage, or changes after earlier care
Point out worn edges, failing repairs, past appliances, or a closing pattern that has changed. Older records can show what is different now. Each symptom needs its own assessment, without assuming the underbite explains it.
Underbite describes what is seen when the teeth close, not one particular jaw diagnosis. Ask which findings in your records are dental, which skeletal, and whether the front teeth fit a wider pattern.
Why the findings matter
Good records make the options easier to compare.
With a clear picture of the cause, you can see what different routes are aiming for. Moving teeth works within the current jaw relationship, while other approaches set out to change it. Asking what each plan would alter, and what it would leave as it stands, gives you a better basis for choosing than appliance appearance.
Records also make the uncertain parts easier to discuss. Growth, how teeth respond, oral health, and your capacity to attend appointments all influence results. Talking those through helps you make a considered decision and understand when a specialist’s view would add useful information.
Findings shown, not just described
Ask the clinician to point out on the images or models what contributes most to your bite. Is it the teeth, the jaws, a closing shift, or a mix? Seeing it yourself makes the explanation easier to remember.
The reach of each option
Discuss what moving teeth alone could not change and what a fuller plan would aim for. Ask which compromises are involved and why. Plans should be distinguished by their goals, not by their fees.
Records that travel with you
If referral is advised, ask whether your records can be sent ahead so they need not be repeated. Agree who handles routine dental care. For households in Erin, that can save an extra trip.
From examination to plan
Each stage adds a layer of understanding.
Which records are needed, and in what order care follows, depends on findings, growth, and goals. Ask what can be decided at the first visit.
Talk through the bite and its background
Explain what bothers you, when it began, and whether function or appearance matters more. Mention earlier orthodontics, any knock to the jaw, fillings or crowns, and relatives with a similar bite, and bring any older records.
Examine, then choose the right records
The clinician checks teeth, gums, and how the jaws close, then recommends records suited to your situation. Ask what each one will show and why it is needed. Other dental problems to treat first are identified.
Review the findings and options together
Go through what the records show, then the options with their responsibilities, risks, stages, and fees. Ask whether a specialist should be involved and whether a plan affects teeth only or the jaws too. Take time before irreversible steps.
Coordinate treatment and future checks
If you proceed, confirm who leads each stage and how records and updates will be shared. Follow your instructions and attend reviews. Before finishing, talk about retention, remaining needs, and how future records might track change.
Once care begins
Your routine should match your treatment.
Orthodontic appliances, growth-related care, and surgical plans each have their own instructions. Rely on the provider responsible for the care you are actually receiving.
Write the routine down
Note wear time, cleaning, any home adjustments, and your next appointment. If a child is in treatment, agree which tasks need help. Phone early about problems instead of improvising changes.
Keep your everyday dental care in step
Continue cleanings, checkups, and repairs. Make sure each provider knows what the others are doing. Know ahead of time whom to contact about a cracked filling, tender gum, or aching tooth between specialist visits.
Plan for after active treatment
Where teeth have moved, ask about retainers and how they will be reviewed. If surgery is part of the plan, follow the surgeon’s recovery guidance first. Ask whether follow-up records will be used to check stability.
Questions about records(905) 876-4488
Images, scans, and what they mean
A good consultation makes the evidence about teeth, jaws, and growth understandable. It also gives you room to say how much treatment you want.
Which X-rays are usually taken for an underbite assessment?
It depends on age and findings. Some assessments use images of the teeth and jaws, and specialists may request others when they plan treatment. Ask why each image is recommended, what it will show, and whether any recent X-rays from another clinic could be used instead.
Can a digital scan replace traditional impressions for bite records?
Many clinics use scans to record how the teeth fit, though the method varies from one practice to another. Ask which approach will be used, what it captures about how your upper and lower teeth meet, and how the result will be explained to you.
Why would photos of my face be part of underbite planning?
Facial photos help show how the teeth, lips, and jaws relate in profile and when smiling, which can matter when comparing tooth-based and jaw-based routes. Ask how they will be used and who will see them.
Can I get copies of my underbite records?
Ask the clinic about its process for sharing records, whether with you or with a specialist. Having copies can be useful if you want a second opinion or move to another provider.
Do records taken for a child need repeating as they grow?
Sometimes, because growth can change the picture over a few years. Ask what would prompt new records, how often reviews are expected, and how earlier and later records will be compared to track development.
Can my records be ready before a specialist visit so I don’t travel twice from Erin?
Ask us to forward the relevant records to the specialist ahead of time. Check with their office that they have arrived before you set out.
From Erin and Hillsburgh
Understand the findings, then decide.
Come to our Bronte Street practice to talk about a reversed front bite, chewing concerns, or a child’s changing bite. We will explain what the examination and any records show and outline possible referrals.
Treatment need, scope, timing, specialist involvement, and fees depend on assessment. No record or appliance can guarantee a particular outcome or rule out future care.
Visit Milton Dental ClinicUnit 1, 342 Bronte St. S, Milton, ON L9T 5B7Get directions
Clinic hours
- Monday–Thursday
- 11am–7pm
- Friday–Sunday
- By appointment only
Areas we serve
- Milton
- Oakville
- Mississauga
- Georgetown
- Halton Hills
- Acton
- Campbellville
- Brampton
- Burlington
- Puslinch
- Rockwood
- Erin
- Caledon
- Etobicoke
- Old Milton
- Bronte Meadows
- Timberlea
- Dorset Park
- Dempsey
- Clarke
- Beaty
- Coates
- Harrison
- Scott
- Willmott
- Ford
- Bowes
- Cobden
- Walker
- Mountain View
- Milton Heights
- Hawthorne Village
- Valley View
- Fallingbrook
- Nassagaweya
- Trafalgar
- Esquesing
- Nelson
- Brookville
- Moffat
- Glen Williams
- Norval
- Limehouse
- Stewarttown
- Ashgrove
- Hornby
- Silver Creek
- Speyside
- Scotch Block
- North Oakville
- River Oaks
- Glen Abbey
- West Oak Trails
- Palermo
- Bronte Creek
- College Park
- Joshua Creek
- Uptown Core
- Preserve
- Iroquois Ridge
- Lisgar
- Meadowvale
- Meadowvale Village
- Churchill Meadows
- Erin Mills
- Central Erin Mills
- Streetsville
- East Credit
- Creditview
- Heartland
- Sheridan
- Mount Pleasant
- Credit Valley
- Huttonville
- Churchville
- Springbrook
- Northwest Brampton
- Bram West
- Fletcher's Meadow
- Fletcher's Creek South
- Alton Village
- Orchard
- Millcroft
- Headon Forest
- Tansley
- Brant Hills
- Tyandaga
- Kilbride
- Lowville
- Aberfoyle
- Morriston
- Arkell
- Hillsburgh
- Freelton
- Carlisle
- Waterdown
- Flamborough
- Mountsberg
