Let’s answer this question with a series of FAQs :

FAQ 1:
Why are my child’s teeth so crooked?

• Your child’s crooked teeth may be a result of multiple factors. 5% maybe ruled by genetic and 95%
• ruled by epigenetic (environmental) factors. The most common factors behind the development of
• crooked teeth are :
• Poor Breastfeeding, Bottle feeding.
• Excessive Pacifier or Thumb sucking habit
• Clothes Chewing, Nail biting, Lip biting habits
• Mouth Breathing day or night
• Poor Chewing and Swallowing
• All of this may also not allow the babies transition to mature swallow as a part of normal growth
• and that leads to the development of poor swallowing pattern.
• All of this may collectively cause the development of crooked teeth.
• There is one common pattern which is shared by all of this — Tongue hanging low in the mouth.

Correct Tongue posture in the mouth :

Why is this important ?

• Because, the Tongue is the architect of our face. It is also the scaffold for the upper jaw. It guides and supports the development and growth of the jaws.

• When the tongue hangs low in the mouth, the jaws collapse and ultimately causes teeth to come in crooked direction.
• Mouth breathing and other oral habits disturbs the ideal tongue posture alongwith the function of other muscles of the face, mouth and airway affecting their growth.
• Individuals sleeping with their mouth open are at a huge risk of apnea or other Sleep Related Breathing Disorders due to the chances of Tongue falling back and choking the airway.

What causes Mouth Breathing?

DEVELOPMENT
Poor Breastfeeding
Narrow Jaws
Crowded Teeth
Long Face

HABITS
Early Introducing of bottle feeding
Pacifiers
Thumb sucking

PHYSICAL CAUSES
Tongue Tie
Deviated Nasal Septum
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Sinus Polyps

Other harmful effects of Mouth Breathing :

• Frequent cough and cold
• Sleep Disordered Breathing
• Poor facial shape and growth
• Frequent cavities, gum problems
• Bad Breath
• Dry/Chapped Lips
• Mouth Breathing can change the shape of your face!

Reasons behind Low Tongue Posture:

• Presence of enlarged Tonsils/Adenoids
• Tongue Ties
• Low Tongue Tone
• Poor Tongue Space

FAQ 2
How can I fix my child’s crooked teeth?

• Since crooked teeth are the result of multiple factors and since the back of the face is the airway, hence, while straightening teeth it is important to take care of the airway of the growing child. Hence, it is extremely important to consult an Airway- Focused Functional Pediatric Dentist who
  would look into all of these aspects and get your child’s teeth straightened in a holistic way.

FAQ 3
Do kids crooked teeth straighten out?

• Yes, they do. But, only when the oral muscle function and airway function is optimized. Straightening teeth without optimising airway and muscle function has high chances of relapse in future.

FAQ 4
What age should you fix crooked teeth?

• Crooked Teeth in children can be fixed right from the time its first spotted, which means, even in baby teeth. The earlier it is, the better, and permanent results can be expected. Since, the children are still in their growing age, even a slight modification of their growth in right direction can help their body to catch up fast and align their teeth properly.

FAQ 5
Should I worry about crooked baby teeth?

• Yes, Crooked Baby teeth or baby teeth with no spaces in between them are a 100 percent indication towards abnormal growth of the face, jaws and airway. This also indicates that the permanent teeth would most likely erupt crooked, since the size of the permanent are quite larger than their baby counterparts.

FAQ 6
Is it normal for babies to have gaps in their teeth?

• It is ABSOLUTELY NORMAL for children to have gaps between their baby teeth. Proper gap between all the baby teeth is an indication of healthy growth of the jaws, airway and a proper function of the muscles of the head and neck.
• Such children are most likely to have naturally well-aligned permanent teeth in the future. So Parents, you should be happy if your child has large gaps between their baby teeth.

FAQ 7
Is it healthy for a child to get braces?

• Yes, There is absolutely no harm to children in getting braces.
• However, it is important to understand that orthodontic treatment in children is about GROWTH MODIFICATION since they are still in growing age. In children, there are multiple we can do that, and braces is just one of them. Some children may not even require braces. Other modalities
  which we follow involves Myofunctional Therapy – which includes various physiotherapy of the muscles of the face, jaws and tongue ayongwith certain appliances and expanders to create space for the developing permanent teeth and develop their airway, for children to breathe better.
  Ultimately, its all about HOLISTIC HEALTH ! and TREATING FROM THE ROOT CAUSE !

FAQ 8
How do I know if my child will need braces?

Chances of getting braces increases if :

• If your child has crooked baby teeth
• If your child has little to no gap between their baby teeth
• If your child is mouth breathing
• If your child didn’t have a healthy and exclusive long term breastfeeding journey
• If your child has other habits like Thumb sucking, Nail biting, Clothes/Pencil Chewing etc.

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