It is very important to spot teeth which overlap the wrong way around or are in cross bite.
If not corrected, this can cause the jaw shift to one side (left image above), resulting in an asymmetric facial appearance or may cause gum recession and bone loss, as you can see in the top left image.
These photos show, that when the jaw is too far back, the teeth may stick out. Please bear in mind that there is an increased risk of damage to the front teeth, when they stick out, due to sporting injuries or simply by falling off a bike or skates.
This may lead to nerve damage and eventual loss of teeth. Studies also show that approximately 40% of children with a lower jaw which set-back, have problems with jawpoint pain / dysfunction. while your child is still growing, we have the opportunity. To correct this, in order to avoid permanent damage to the teeth.
In some cases, we see that children can be bullied at school due to ‘buck-teeth’.
In the reverse scenario, when the chin is too forward, you may have noticed that your child’s teeth are biting the wrong way around and perhaps you cannot see the upper teeth when he/she smiles. Early treatment for this type of problem is essential, to maximise the benefit of growth to correct the reverse bite and facial growth.
This is often an ‘invisible’ problem. you may be totally unaware if your child has an impacted tooth, until it is too late, as they will rarely cause any noticeable symptoms. Is it important to detect early? Absolutely.
Early diagnosis is vital, in order to eliminate the risk of damage from the impacted tooth to adjacent teeth and give the best chance of guiding the impacted tooth into the mouth.
Your child should have an orthodontic assessment at the very latest by the age of 9 years.
There is no obvious problem with the smile image on the right… but, the scan image, show irreversible damage to the root of an adult tooth due to late detection of an impacted canine.
The good news is that you have a golden opportunity to eliminate or reduce the severity of problems for your child, by seeking advice, as early as possible.
It is a misconception that bite problems and braces can only be done once the milk teeth are all lost. Some of these problems can be treated simply, effectively and in a matter of months, avoiding the need for complex, lengthy treatment during the challenging teenage years.
By seeking treatment early for your child, you may eliminate the need for extractions and in some cases jaw surgery, for more severe problems.
Did you know that we sometimes find extra teeth, which are not part of the normal set of teeth? These are called supernumerary teeth usually prevent adult teeth from coming through. The sooner this is detected the better the outcome. If left untreated into late teens or adulthood, the chances of the impacted tooth erupting lessen with time.
In the image, on the right you can see that the 23yr old young man has an extra tooth which has prevented an adult premolar tooth from erupting. On the eight handside, this 13yr old boy has overlapping front teeth because of the extra tooth, circled in red.
