Underbite on children leads parents to wonder when they should take them to an orthodontist to be corrected. According to Dr. Marie Syjuco of Oraderm Care Clinic, the sooner it is fixed the better.
What is an Underbite?
An underbite is when the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw. An underbite causes the lower jaw to be more protruding, so it affects one’s appearance greatly.
What causes an underbite?
The most common cause of an underbite is genetics or hereditary. Unfortunately for many, the shape of the jawline can be passed down for generations. If someone’s parent developed an underbite as children, then there is a greater chance that they will also have an underbite. The other primary cause is excessive and constant pressure on the lower teeth. Some of the most common habits that can put too much pressure on the lower teeth are thumb sucking, continuous thrusting of the tongue and excessive use of a baby bottle or pacifier.
What happens if underbite goes untreated?
Physical appearance is not the only side-effect of an underbite. Possible complications resulting from an untreated underbite include jaw pain, increase wear and tear on your child’s tooth enamel, speech difficulty and difficulty sleeping.
How to correct an underbite ?
Treatment for underbite is most effective on children who are still growing. Some parents would think their child is still too young to have braces, so they wait until their child reach the age of 12. To correct your child's orthodontic problems, we recommend that you start early. We can fix underbite as early as 4 or 5 years old -- we call it Pre-Orthodontic Treatment. For some children, a simple appliance is all that is required.
The photo above is a 7 year old kid whose upper permanent teeth are starting to come out behind the lower front teeth. Luckily this patient sees us every 6 months, as early as this stage we can tell on what's going to happen. At this age Dr. Syjuco made a treatment that allowed the front teeth to not fall into an underbite.
If the patient is an adult, Braces are the most common way to correct an underbite.
The goal of this early treatment is to correct the growth of the jaw and bite problems. The good thing about having an early treatment is to help make room for permanent teeth to come out properly.
During a consultation at Oraderm Care Clinic we can discuss if any bite issues are present whether underbite, overbite or crossbite.
Make an appointment so we can create a plan and discuss early treatment necessary.
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