Learning to Manage Your Dental Problems

How Crossbite Causes Chewing Problems For A Child & How A Pediatric Dentist Can Help

8 December 2014 by Charlotte Beck

A child that has misaligned teeth can have a hard time chewing his or her food. However, a dentist can fix the problem by places braces on the teeth to straighten them up. In this article, you will learn how crossbite causes a child to have problems chewing food and what a pediatric dentist can do to help.

How Does Crossbite Cause Chewing Problems for a Child?

It is not difficult diagnosing crossbite because all you have to do is look inside of your child's mouth and determine if there are teeth leaning towards the tongue or jaws. The condition causes your child's teeth to not connect properly as he or she bites down to chew food. The most severe form of the condition is posterior crossbite, which affects the back teeth that are used for chewing food more than the ones in the front.

When crossbite affects the front teeth (anterior), your child can also have problems chewing food. However, the condition is easier to cope with when it affects the front teeth. It is important to take your child to a dentist to get braces no matter what type of crossbite he or she has, as it can prevent teeth from becoming loose and falling out.

What Can a Pediatric Dentist Do to Help a Child with Crossbite?

A dentist will examine your child's teeth and perform an x-ray to make sure there are no damaged jawbones from crossbite. If all is well, braces can be installed on your child's teeth by first placing brackets on them for proper alignment. After the brackets are in place, metal wires will be put on them to encourage the misaligned teeth to move into the right position.

The metal wires will get loose as your child's teeth straighten up. There will be appointments set at the dentist's clinic for your child to attend checkups and to get the wires tightened. The extent of time that your child will have to wear braces depends on how bad the crossbite is.

Don't allow misaligned teeth to have an effect on how well your child can chew food. Misaligned teeth can also cause self-esteem problems if you don't get them fixed while your child is still at a young age. Make an appointment with a pediatric dentist so your child can receive the dental care he or she needs to get problems with crossbite under control. To learn more, contact a professional like Mark Stapleton DMD MSD PC with your questions.

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