Underbite - Westport,CT

My daughter has an underbite too. Her dentist said she will probably need braces later because of it. As for now, there's no cause for concern.

I would take the child to a pediatric dentist, he is more than old enough. See what they say. Most of the time they don't do anything until the child is 8 or older. They can't really do much due to maturity and the bones in the body growing.

When a child gets to be around age 8 they suddenly start looking very odd. They get their adult feet and hands, their adult ears, their jawbone grows overnight, their nose grows on one side then it grows on the other side, that's where a deviated septum comes from. One day it grows on one side then stops. So it's crooked.

Until they start getting adult bones. Once they get this spurt started a dentist that does braces can use several different options to fix an underbite. A bionator will push on their bottom teeth and cause pressure on the bottom jaw thus causing it to grow longer. But until the bone is have it's growth from chidhood to adult size it is useless. The jaw bone would just grow at this later stage and need to be fixed all over again. Also they may pull teeth at age 8 to make room in a smaller mouth for all the teeth and start the beginning steps to getting braces on.

Regardless of all that can happen later, a good pediatric dentist can see thin on the X-Rays and through the cleaning and care of the teeth perhaps get these "fixes" started at the perfect time.

http://www.bionator.com/why-the-bionator.php

My grand daughter has a very odd underbite. It actually is underbite on one side and then her top teeth cross over and on the other side seem more normal. She has a small space inbetween her top front teeth and she has started gritting her teeth and has chipped a little corner off one top tooth. I see a mouth full of braces in her future.

My son's mouth was in every position imagineable until he got his 2year molars. He' liked to thrust his jaw (looking like an underbite) more than anything else starting right around the same age. Mostly because it was fun, but also because that position presses on the back of the gums (and he had molars coming in, but not erupting. He now has a slight overbite. But it took his molars being fully in at 2-2.5 before we could "tell" which way his mouth was going to sit.

Some kids are MUCH more obvious in one way or another.

What does his dentist say?

your child's mouth will change multiple times until the orthodontist years - some kids start as early as age 7. Wait & see....

This is common. My son had the same, and the doctor said it would correct itself. It did. If not, braces can fix it. I'd ask your pediatrician, but don't worry : )

My son (19mo) seems to have one too. My whole dad's side of the family has horrible underbite. Braces took care of it for me! I don't think it is anything to worry about, but I am not a dentist/orthodontist/doctor. :-) Didn't hurt me! :-)

yikes. i had my jaws wired shut as a teen to correct it. but my neice had some braces thing... though she still has a long face/chin. but she's beautiful : )

My late Dad had an under bite.
I "had" an under bite. Until I got braces during middle school. But apparently the braces did not "permanently" fix it... because my mouth/teeth, even to this day, shifts. And I still have to wear a retainer, for example.

My under bite was not bad. Nor was my Dad's. For my Dad, it was actually distinguished looking. He was a handsome guy.
For me, it was not real obvious either. But during my adolescence, everyone got braces even if not needed.

My daughter's friend, has an under bite. And from I think 3rd, grade, she had braces. But to tell you the truth, I NEVER EVER, noticed her under bite. You can barely tell she has an under bite and I really don't think she needs the braces for it.

My Cousin (unrelated to my Dad's side of the family) had an under bite. But his was severe. As a Teen, he had surgery on his jaw... bone to shorten it or something. That is major surgery.