Has your child's dentist discovered an open bite at a recent checkup? This is where they close their jaw and some of their teeth do not touch. If so, you'll definitely want to know more about this dental condition and what can be done about it.

What Is Considered An Open Bite?

Many people think that an open bite is only when you close your jaw and your teeth do not touch in the front. This is not true, since an open bite is when any of your teeth do not touch. Some situations with an open bite can be more extreme than others, but it just means that there are teeth that do not touch in some way.

Why Do Open Bites Form?

Open bites can happen from a variety of reasons, which start from things as simple as poor habits as a child. Your child may have used a pacifier for way too long, or had a habit of sucking on their thumb. This can cause a child to develop an open bite over time if the habit is not dealt with properly.

Some people may experience an open bite due to genetics. This means that there is nothing your child did to cause the open bite to form, but they were just more at risk due to family genetics of how the jaw forms. Other causes include tongue thrusting, TMJ, and a facial injury.

Is An Open Bite Bad?

There are several problems that can be caused by having an open bite. A common problem includes pain that your child will experience in their teeth and jaw, but they may also have trouble eating certain foods because their teeth are not touching properly. It can also cause some people to experience headaches, which is definitely not good.

This is all due to how the jaw needs to work harder than it should to chew and grind down food. With that gap between the teeth, more pressure needs to be applied when compared to someone that doesn't have an open bite. As you can imagine, all that pressure over time can lead to some serious problems.

How Do You Treat An Open Bite?

The best way to treat an open bite is to visit your dentist since they can evaluate the open bite and come up with a potential solution. They may recommend that your child uses an oral appliance, gets braces, or even has oral surgery to correct the open bite. It really depends on their specific situation and what needs to be done to fix it.

Schedule a pediatric dentist check-up if you're worried about your child's teeth.