Bite Checks for Children

Children’s mouths change rapidly. With new teeth coming in and constantly being rearranged, it can be a challenge for kids to maintain proper hygiene. But ease of brushing and flossing isn’t the only benefit of having straight teeth, and children are able to undergo orthodontic therapy that is unlikely to be successful later in life. At Kidz Connextion in Phoenix, we provide general and orthodontic services, and we want all our patients’ parents to understand why it’s important for their kids to get regular bite checks.

 

Ideally, when a person bites down, their upper front teeth will rest outside of their lower ones and the outside of each upper tooth on the sides will close outside of the lower molars and premolars. Hygienists will ask a patient to demonstrate biting down during their examination, which will also allow us to observe if their jaws are uneven or catching or if there are wear marks on their teeth consistent with nighttime grinding. However, in pediatric patients, the more pressing concern is usually a malocclusion, which is when misalignment in the teeth interferes with biting. Malocclusions most commonly take the form of overbites, in which the upper teeth extend too far beyond the lower ones, underbites, in which they don’t extend far enough, and crossbites, in which the side teeth do not fit together.

 

Children’s facial bones don’t fully solidify until adolescence, and until then, braces can be used to guide their teeth into significantly different positions. But orthodontic therapy takes a lot of planning, and dentists will want to leave room for unerupted teeth or, in the cases of wisdom teeth, anticipate needing to remove them before they disrupt work in progress. Performing a bite check can help us to recognize immediate issues such as a high filling that’s interfering with the bite, but it will also allow us to observe whether a tooth is at risk for long-term instability or being pushed further out of place due to the pressure being put on it by a misalignment. Sometimes, early orthodontic intervention can prevent more serious misalignments from causing structural damage to the entire mouth.

 

Kidz Connextion has three convenient locations in Phoenix, Arizona. To schedule an appointment at 2533 N 75th St, text 623-232-0749. For our office at 2046 N 24th St, text 480-666-5984. For our office at 524 E Baseline Rd, text 480-405-4714. Or, visit Kidz Connextion on our website.