Uneven biting is also referred to as malocclusion. This means that teeth do not come together properly. Uneven bites could be caused by dental procedures, growth, accidents or even habits. Dental procedures that involve changing the teeth by replacements, dental fillings, and crowning can cause a change in the bite of a person. When worn out dentures are replaced, the new dentures are usually thicker and this may cause soreness in some of the muscles of the face. Headaches and muscle tension are experienced. With time the muscles stretch and eventually the headache stops. In case the pain persists, the denture can be thinned.

After a dental filling or crowning, the dentist usually checks the bite by markings made on an articulatory paper and by confirming from the patient if they experience any pain as they bite. It is not always possible to tell as the muscles in the teeth could be still numb. After biting for a few days on a high restoration, the teeth mostly hurt. After a few days the patients gets used to the high spot and adjust the movements of the jaw and the eating habits as well.

The teeth may erupt in the wrong position. The edges of the upper front teeth may erupt behind those of the lower front teeth, this may result in a bite problem that is referred to as an under bite. An under bite is the protrusion of the lower jaw. There is a lot of tension that causes the lower jaw to grow faster than the bone supporting the upper teeth. The under bite could be remedied without undergoing surgery if they are detected early. If it occurs in a child, the jaw can be pushed back.  The upper jaw could be widened to make the teeth fit better by an expander. A headgear can also be used in serious cases. It attaches to the top jaw and slowly brings it forward and this makes the top teeth to overlap the bottom properly. In adults, surgery is used to correct the bite. A permissive splint is a way of correcting the bad bite by covering up the inclines that have deflected n the teeth with a plastic material.

Patients who have poor bite relationships may have to get their jaw joints displaced from their sockets to make the teeth fit together when the jaw closes. The muscles of the jaw that hold the joints out of position when teeth come together get tired and cause a lot of pain.

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