An Orthodontist Gives 5 Tips to Prevent Future Bite Problems for Your Kids
Are you looking for advice from an
orthodontist because you want to prevent your kid from being diagnosed with any bite problems? Good idea. It is always easier to prevent dental problems from happening in the first place instead of trying to correct them afterward.
An
orthodontist is a dental professional who has undergone additional training to diagnose bite problems in their patients. They understand everything there is to know about fixing crooked or misaligned teeth and can offer their patients ideal treatment options for bite problems.
Tips for preventing bite problems in kids
A good amount of information is available online, which can make it difficult for you to understand what is true. To make life easier for you, our orthodontist has written five tips for preventing bite problems. This issue is common in children and is preventable in some cases. We see cases of overbites, underbites, crossbites and other orthodontic issues that should never have occurred.
Keep reading to learn some commons causes of bite problems in children. With this advice from our orthodontist, your child can avoid orthodontic treatment. You can potentially save money and spare your child the emotional expense of wearing braces.
1. Keep an eye on their thumb-sucking habits
Chronic or prolonged thumb sucking can potentially lead to bite problems. This action puts a high amount of pressure on the teeth. It can eventually cause the upper teeth to protrude and be more prominent.
2. Watch how your child breaths
Breathing through the nose supports proper facial and jaw development. Breathing through the mouth can have negative consequences. It often causes the jaws to be misaligned when the mouth is closed. An article in the Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica states mouth breathing alters the physiological balance of growth.
3. Avoid using a bottle for too long
Chronic or prolonged use of a bottle can cause tooth alignment issues. The constant sucking action can narrow the roof of the mouth, creating tooth alignment problems since the shape of the mouth has changed.
4. Avoid using a pacifier for too long
Chronic or prolonged pacifier use often prevent the top and bottom teeth from matching up correctly. Pacifiers should be taken away from kids by the time they reach the age of 2 years old. The previously mentioned article found pacifier sucking after this age to be associated with bite issues.
5. Stop the nail-biting
Biting nails places a good deal of stress on the jaw muscles. This pressure will eventually lead to bite problems. Also, biting your fingernails can damage your teeth, only complicating things further.
Schedule an appointment
As you see, preventative measures can stop bite problems from forming. One major aspect of prevention is early identification. When you make an appointment with our orthodontist, your kid will receive a thorough evaluation of their mouth. We may notice concerns before they become major issues. If the bite problem needs treatment, we can work with you and your child to determine the best course of action.
Request an appointment here: https://camelbackpedoortho.com or call Camelback Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics at (602) 595-3531 for an appointment in our Phoenix office.Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp:
Read our Yelp reviews.