Orthodontic info
My child bites with the side teeth instead of the front teeth. Is that an orthodontic problem?
Yes, biting with the side teeth can be a sign of an orthodontic problem: the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) says that when a child cannot bite with the front teeth, the upper and lower jaws could be out of balance or the front teeth could be protruding.
On this page
The front teeth, called incisors, are "engineered to cut" food in the AAO's description, and the AAO's advice for a child who cannot use them to bite is an in-person evaluation. At Carvalho & Roth Orthodontics, that evaluation is the initial examination, with digital photos and X-rays to help diagnose current or developing problems.
Do the front teeth touch when the back teeth close?
Front teeth that do not touch at all may be an anterior open bite, the AAO says, and its glossary describes it as front teeth that do not touch when the back teeth are closed together. Whether a bite is open is for the exam to decide; teeth that do not meet normally or at all are on the AAO's list of problems that may benefit from early treatment, which the practice's page on early orthodontic treatment carries. Common bite problems covers open bites in more depth.
What does a healthy bite look like?
A healthy bite, in the AAO's description, has the upper front teeth slightly overlapping the lower front teeth and the back teeth meeting comfortably for chewing, and teeth that only touch in the front or back may be a sign of a bite problem, also called malocclusion. The exam looks at that same fit, and at Carvalho & Roth Orthodontics it can evaluate bite development along with tooth eruption, jaw growth and spacing.
Are the front teeth protruding?
Protruding front teeth are the other reason the AAO gives for a child who cannot bite with the front teeth, and front teeth that stick out get a page of their own, when a child's front teeth stick out. The exam sorts out whether the jaws, the teeth or both are involved, and the AAO says X-rays reveal what could otherwise only be guessed.
What can keep the front teeth apart?
Habits can keep the front teeth apart, according to the AAO: a tongue thrust, where the tongue pushes against the teeth when swallowing, may lead to an open bite, and with prolonged thumb, finger or pacifier sucking an open bite may develop. When a sucking habit starts to matter for the bite is answered on thumb sucking, pacifiers and the bite.
Mention any sucking or swallowing habit at the exam; the AAO lists a thumb, finger or pacifier habit affecting the teeth or jaw growth among problems that may benefit from early treatment.
What else might a parent notice?
Difficulty chewing or biting is one of the AAO's warning signs for growing children, along with jaws that shift or click, and the AAO says eating should never hurt, although discomfort is typical when teething. Write down what you see before the visit, since the practice's first consultation page asks a parent bringing a child to recall the child's dental history.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is biting with the side teeth the same thing as an open bite?
Not necessarily. The AAO's answer to the side-teeth question names jaws that could be out of balance and front teeth that could be protruding, not an open bite by name. An open bite is one possibility, and the exam is where it is confirmed or ruled out.
My child also bites the inside of the cheeks. Is that connected?
Possibly. The AAO says a child who is constantly biting the cheeks may have upper and lower teeth that are not fitting together properly when chewing, and that cheek biting may point to jaw misalignment or a posterior crossbite, where the upper and lower jaw widths are not coordinated. Mention both at the exam.
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