Formation of the correct bite from childhood

Formation of the correct bite from childhood

Professional advice from children's specialists of the "SA-NATA" network.

The largest percentage of patients with a request for bite correction are children and adolescents. But it is important to note that it is possible to correct an overbite at any age: both in children and in adults. Malocclusion occurs in most patients and is one of the most common problems. Now there are a huge number of methods for correcting an overbite. The leaders among bite correction are braces and aligners Also for children there is an opportunity to correct the not yet fully formed bite with the help of special orthodontic appliances and trays (plates).

Bite is the anatomical position of the jaws in relation to each other: upper and lower, which is formed in several stages in the process of growing up a child. Many factors and circumstances influence the formation of bite, below we will analyze what needs to be done and what it is worth accustoming the child to even before teething so that the bite of the jaws develops correctly.

Many parents already know that the sooner a child's bite is taken care of, the easier, cheaper and faster the situation can be corrected. But, do you know that it is possible to influence the correct formation of a bite in a baby very long before he begins to fully talk? We want to share some tricks and professional tips to "arm" you in advance and help you and your child avoid full orthodontic treatment and certain problems in the future.

So, we have collected time-tested and many years of experience advice from our orthodontists, which will affect the correct formation of the bite in your baby, form a beautiful external aesthetics of the dentition and the full functionality of the jaws and joints.

But before that, let's look at the physiological process of jaw development in a child from birth. The fact is that the baby is initially born with a slightly shifted back and not fully formed lower jaw - this is called infantile retrognathia. After the birth process, the further correct or incorrect development of his jaws will depend on what efforts and how the baby will carry out the sucking process. When breastfeeding, the baby pushes the lower jaw forward. Then, during the introduction of complementary foods into his life and acquaintance with food of different hardness, the jaws should develop in a slightly different way, distributing the necessary and even load on the upper and lower jaws. That is why the formation of the correct or incorrect bite occurs even before teething. The use of a pacifier, the habit of sucking a finger, the principle of breathing through the mouth during sleep will also affect the development of bite in the future.

Tips for parents to form the correct bite in a child from childhood:

1. The work of the masticatory muscles activates the growth and healthy development of the jaws. The fact is that the chewing muscles of our body are connected with other muscles of the body. That's why bite problems can also affect a child's posture and even the formation of his facial features - everything is very closely interconnected. With proper chewing, blood flow to the chewing muscles increases and in this way they develop and form correctly. With improper and insufficient development of the masticatory muscles, the jaws also remain not fully developed and, as a result, unformed or incorrectly formed. As a result, we get the wrong bite, which then has to be corrected.

To avoid this, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods to the child in a timely manner. That is, already during breastfeeding, you can correctly plan the beginning and principle of complementary feeding and thereby start the process of proper bite formation. We give the child hard and rough food so that the process of active chewing develops (meat in small pieces, nuts, raw hard fruits and vegetables). We minimize the maximum frayed and soft food in the diet.

Tips for parents to form the correct bite in a child from childhood:

2. Mouth breathing in a dream inevitably forms a pathological bite. See if your child sleeps with their mouth closed. Mouth breathing is an incorrectly formed occlusion in the future, facial deformity and a violation of posture. Breathing through the mouth during sleep is quite common in children. This is due to the lack of air that enters through the nose. The causes may be a runny nose, inflammation of the adenoids, and so on. During a cold, this principle of breathing in a child is the norm, but if he sleeps and breathes exclusively through his mouth on an ongoing basis, then it is necessary to look for the cause and solve it.

3. Excessive use of the pacifier creates an open bite. The nipple can significantly damage the bite, depending on the frequency and duration of its use. A nipple is not a panacea, you should not categorically refuse it in all directions, but you need to clearly understand what period of time its use will not harm the baby. It is desirable that in 1 year - 1.5 years the baby won’t use the pacifier.

If a child sucks on a nipple for a long time, the tip of his tongue does not press against the sky, but is adjacent to the lower lip. In this case, the nipple exerts a certain pressure on the upper row of teeth, and the gums and cheeks move away from the teeth. Thus, in most of these cases, the formation of an open bite in a child is inevitable.

4. Bad habit of thumb sucking. This point can be equated with the previous point with excessive use of the pacifier. The principle is approximately the same: due to pressure on the lower jaw and front teeth, the dentition is deformed and the development of the lower jaw is delayed. An open bite is formed in a child and the shape of the hard palate changes. But since it is a habit, you can get rid of it.

The habit of sucking is essentially similar to the process of smoking: by sucking on a finger, the child calms himself and changes the focus of his attention. It is necessary to understand why your baby is nervous and worried at one time or another and try to deal with this by eradicating the cause. You can distract the child from the usual thumb-sucking or just calm him down. The games also work well in this situation. Where you can clearly show and explain to the baby that toys (animals, dolls, etc.) do not stick their fingers in their mouths, that they can do without it, and at the same time they are comfortable, joyful and happy. The child will want to lead by example.

5. The initial visit to the orthodontist should be timely. Ideally, of course, show the first time the child to the dentist when the very first tooth began to erupt or at the age of 1 year. Be sure to take your child to the orthodontist as early as 3 years old - it is at this age that an inconsistent bite is already formed. At the initial visit, the orthodontist will perform a professional examination of the child's oral cavity, examine the mucous membrane and existing teeth. If necessary, X-ray diagnostics will be carried out - this is completely safe. Diagnostics will provide an opportunity for the doctor to study in detail the situation of the development of the baby's jaws.

At the age of 6-7 years, the child's teeth change and the growth of the dentoalveolar system increases. And in the period from 6 to 12 years, the stage of mixed dentition lasts. During this period, you can budget, quickly and painlessly correct the situation (for example, with a record).

Early orthodontic treatment for children includes 2 main goals:

  1. Elimination of unhealthy habits in the baby that interfere and harm the proper formation of the jaws; improvement and correction of facial features.
  2. Prevention of jaw disorders or minimizing the conditions for their formation.

The best children's specialists and orthodontists work in the Sa-Nata network, and they can do a question and a task of any complexity. But our team advises you to contact an orthodontist in a timely manner and take care of the correct formation of the bite in your child from childhood. Thus, you will avoid complications, complete orthodontic treatment in the future, save your time and money.

We invite you to a consultation and examination to us by the orthodontists of the Sa-Nata network! Everything for a healthy and aesthetic smile!

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