Every time we talk about orthodontics in children, we don’t miss the opportunity to remember the importance of diagnosing any oral disorder in time. An early detection of a malocclusion will allow correcting bad habits and subsequently performing a more effective treatment. Orthodontics is the only treatment that corrects long-term malocclusions; however, sometimes it is time to avoid it.

More typical malocclusions in children

First of all, we must keep in mind the types of malocclusions due to incorrect bite that exist. Among them, we find the following problems:

Transversal problems: In these cases, the upper jaw must be compensated with the lower one so that it is more advanced and goes over the sides to the lower jaw. If the jaw is smaller, we will be talking about a cross bite, which can be the product of a mandibular deviation.

Sagittal problems: These are known colloquially as “protruding teeth”, either by the teeth of the upper jaw or by retrusion of the chin. In these cases, there is an incorrect closure that affects occlusion and aesthetic harmony.

Vertical problems: They occur when there is a lack of vertical cross-linking of the incisors, which in these cases can prevent the patient from cutting food. It is also called open bite.

Crowding problems: To solve these types of problems, such as disordered teeth, their alignment is used, which is achieved by increasing bone space or decreasing dental material.

The triggers of ending up biting badly …

We have already spoken on more than one occasion that there can be many factors that cause a bad bite. In the case of open malocclusion in children, the causes can range from sucking the thumb, using the pacifier for a long time, pushing the teeth with the tongue, breathing through the mouth instead of through the nose to genetic causes and hereditary. In case of your little ones, it can also be due to the use of the bottle for an excessive time.

The first big step is a timely detection

An early treatment of the open bite can intercept the malocclusion to reduce the need for orthodontic treatment during adolescence. However, we can always take into account some preventive measures so as not to favor malocclusions, such as eliminating any type of habit that may lead to malocclusion, such as excessive use of the pacifier or bottle, or take your child to the dentist periodically.