Do Underbites Go Away?
Have you noticed that your child’s lower teeth extended outward farther than their upper front teeth? This condition, commonly called an underbite, is more common than you may realize. Some cases of underbite are minor and barely noticeable at first glance. However, there are more serious cases of underbite that may need treatment. Beyond just the cosmetic difference in the appearance of the smile, an underbite may cause a number of health problems for children, including pain, difficulty speaking, and trouble chewing. If you think your child has an underbite, below is more information to help you determine what you should do next.
What To Do If Your Child Has an Underbite
One of your first questions may be: how did your child develop an underbite? Underbites are often inherited through family genetics. Another common cause of underbites are habits in childhood including thumb sucking, pushing on the teeth with a tongue, excessive pacifier use, and long-term bottle feeding. Ideally, underbites would just go away overtime. Unfortunately, most underbites do not go away and treatment is necessary. Fortunately, there are a number of effective treatments available to help treat your child’s underbite and give them a healthy smile.
Is it Necessary to Correct an Underbite?
It is important to remember that underbites not only impact the appearance of your child’s smile, but also their physical and mental health. Underbites can cause a number of health issues, including:
- Pain: Children with underbites often feel pain in the jaw. This jaw pain often comes with toothaches, headaches, and dizziness.
- Challenges with Eating and Speaking: For children, underbites can cause issues with eating, chewing, and speaking.
- Increased risk of tooth decay: Many times, the bite is also misaligned with the underbite condition. Misalignment can cause excessive wear on the enamel of the teeth, increasing the risk of tooth decay.
- Mental impact: Having an underbite can cause low self-esteem and low confidence.
How to Treat an Underbite
Because underbites often will not just go away, treatment is necessary for most cases. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments available. The right treatment for your child will depend on the severity of the condition and their jaw growth pattern. Some common treatments include:
- Orthodontic treatments: The most common underbite treatment is braces. An upper jaw expander is another approach where a prosthetic device is worn at night to gradually cause the upper jaw to widen.
- Reverse-Pull Face Mask: A face mask is similar to headgear and is designed to pull the jaw into the right position.
- Underbite Surgery: In some more severe cases, underbite surgery is recommended to reshape and shorten the lower jaw or lengthen the upper jaw.
- Tooth Extraction: If a tooth is removed it can help reduce over-crowding in the jawline, reduce overall pressure, and allow the other teeth to grow into their proper positions.
Often your child’s dentist and orthodontist may develop a treatment plan together that pairs several of these treatment approaches. Fortunately underbites can be treated, reducing the possible health complications associated with the condition and restoring your child’s healthy smile.