A Few Warning Signs Your Child’s Bite Is Off

Posted June 16, 2020

When it comes to protecting your child’s smile, you can do a lot to help them prevent things like cavities from developing. With good dental hygiene and plenty of alternatives to cavity-rich sweets, your child may successfully prevent a cavity from ever developing. However, cavities aren’t the only thing that could potentially impact your child’s smile, and in some cases, the problem might not be preventable. For example, if your child exhibits a problem with their bite alignment or function, or with the development of their oral tissues, then the warning signs might not be as common.

What is a bite problem?

Conditions like tooth decay, which is the cause behind cavities, result when oral bacteria overwhelm your child’s natural tooth enamel and structure. This is why consistently good dental hygiene and staying away from sugar are important; both methods are designed to limit oral bacteria’s impact on your child’s teeth. However, other factors, like the alignment of your child’s teeth and the development of their jawbone and oral structures, can directly impact the way your child’s bite functions. Also, because such issues aren’t caused by excessive oral bacteria buildup, better dental hygiene may not be enough to prevent them.

They seem to struggle chewing their food

Problems with your child’s bite, such as a tooth alignment issue, can impact your child’s oral health and daily life in different ways, depending on the extent of the problem. In many cases, however, the misalignment of your child’s teeth can have noticeable impacts on the way your child’s upper and lower teeth meet each other when they bite and chew their food. For instance, you may notice your child’s jaw shifting from side to side when they chew their food, which might be a result of the jaw joints and muscles compensating for the imbalance in their teeth.

You catch them grinding their teeth often

If your child’s tooth misalignment problem remains untreated, or if other factors impact their bite function, they may develop a chronic habit of grinding their teeth together. This habit, often known as bruxism, can become problematic for several different reasons, not the least of which is the damage that it could cause to your child’s teeth. Excessive wear, fractures, or breaks can develop when your child grinds their teeth unchecked, and restoring their smile could include repairing this damage in addition to addressing their teeth-grinding habit.

Learn how we can improve your child’s oral health

In addition to cavities, there are several other issues that might impact your child’s oral health and bite function in numerous ways. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.