Listen to Your Dentist When They Recommend Wisdom Teeth Extraction

If your child has relatively straight, nice teeth, you might wonder why his or her dentist is referring you to an orthodontist. Dentists often refer people to orthodontists when they are between the age of 12 and 14, and they do this when a child has issues that can be corrected with braces. Correcting misaligned teeth is one way braces help, but braces are also useful in correcting bite issues. If your child has bite issues, here are several things to know about taking him or her to a kids orthodontist for this issue.

What Are Bite Issues?

A person's bite refers to the way their upper and lower jaws touch when closing. In other words, your bite is the way your upper and lower teeth fit together. When a person has a perfect bite, it means their upper teeth rest just barely in front of their lower teeth when they close their teeth together. If a person's upper teeth extend too far in front of the lower teeth, the person has an overbite. If the upper teeth are behind the lower teeth, there is an underbite present. These bite problems can cause issues with the development of your child's mouth down the road.

How Can Braces Help With Bite Issues?

Braces, though best known for correcting misaligned teeth, can shift a person's bite. They do this through pressure on the teeth and jaw, and braces have the ability to fix most bite issues. If a child has a really major problem with his or her bite, additional steps beyond braces might also be needed. In most cases, though, braces work well for this purpose.

Why Is This Important?

Fixing a bite problem is just as important as fixing misaligned teeth, as bite problems can lead to the same types of problems as misaligned teeth. A bad bite can cause teeth to rub together in certain places too much. If this happens, it can cause the teeth to wear down. Bite issues can also interfere with speech, making it difficult for a your child to say certain sounds. When there is a bite issue present, it can also create high-risk areas in the mouth for cavities to form, and there are many other problems people can experience from having a bad bite.

Orthodontists help correct many types of issues that kids have with their teeth, including bite problems. If you would like to learn more about the services offered by a children's orthodontist, contact a clinic in your city to schedule a visit.