What’s up with my kid’s teeth? Why are they so crooked?

Ah, crooked teeth. It feels like they’re a rite of passage, right? Most of us adults have either already had braces, wish they had had braces, or (like me…) had them as a teenager and are going through additional orthodontic work now as an adult. If you don’t fit into any of those categories and are an adult with naturally straight teeth, consider yourself lucky! And rare…. But that’s a topic for another day.

As a speech-language pathologist who specializes in orofacial myology (the study and treatment of oral and facial muscle disorders; read more about that here), one of my goals is to facilitate balanced movement of the facial muscles. That means I will identify factors that are causing imbalances, introduce and reinforce correct movement patterns, and set your child up for successful jaw development — which will lead to straighter teeth, better sleep, and clearer speech.

Luckily, crooked teeth aren’t simply the result of “bad genes,” like we all may have thought. In fact, research has shown that jaw development is actually related to early oral function (or dysfunction), assuming a normal pregnancy/birth experience has occurred and that there aren’t medical diagnoses that may impact development.

So, what are some factors that contribute to crooked teeth? Read on for my “big four” influences on jaw development:

Influence #1: Airway obstruction and mouth breathing

Common culprits include enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids, sinus infections, allergies, chronic ear infections, enlarged nasal turbinates, a deviated septum, and chronic upper airway infections.

These make it difficult for your child to breathe through their nose, and cause the child to “mouth breathe.”

Mouth breathing is the enemy of jaw development and straight teeth! It can lead to:

-a retrognathic jaw (where the mandible, or lower jaw, is pulled backward in relation to the maxilla, or upper jaw)

-the development of a long and narrow face

-the development of a high and narrow palate (roof of the mouth) which leads to crowding of the teeth

-the development of a posterior crossbite (when the upper back teeth bite down inside the lower back teeth)

Mouth breathing is also associated with other negative health outcomes, including:

-obstructive sleep apnea/ sleep disordered breathing

-dry mouth

-TMJ dysfunction

-decreased oxygen in the bloodstream (which is linked to serious health issues like high blood pressure)

-forward head posture/ neck pain,

-sore throat

-bad breath

Influence #2: Improper oral rest posture

Quick, take notice of where your tongue is in your mouth. What’s it touching? Is it high or low? It’s a strange thing to think about, right? But orofacial myologists think about this all day! We always want to know where our patients’ tongues are. We’re not just weird — it’s that important.

“Oral rest posture” simply means what your mouth looks like when you’re not talking, eating, or drinking.

With appropriate rest posture, the tongue rests against the hard palate (roof of the mouth). In a developing face, this upward pressure from the tongue helps to develop a wider palate, which means more room for the teeth to come in straight.

The closed lips, nasal breathing, and small amount of space between the back teeth help prevent development of a long/narrow face.

Improper rest posture includes parted lips/ mouth breathing, tongue laying low and forward in the mouth, and/or tongue resting against or between the teeth. These characteristics can contribute to long/narrow face shape as well as malocclusions like an overjet, open bite, or underbite.

Influence #3: Improper swallowing

Did you know that the average person swallows up to 1,000 times a day? That’s a lot! And if we’re not doing it correctly, that’s a lot of tongue pressure in the wrong spot… which can lead to crooked teeth.

Many people have what is called a “tongue thrust” swallow. This means that instead of upward pressure on the palate (roof of the mouth), their tongue tip and/or sides of the tongue push against or spread between the teeth.

This constant pressure (remember, 1.000 times a day!) can push teeth out of place, leading to an anterior or posterior open bite, overjet, and other malocclusions.

Influence #4: Oral habits

Pacifier usage and thumb sucking are normal parts of many infants’ daily lives. The sensory input they provide can help your infant calm, self-soothe, and fall asleep.

However, if these habits extend past 12 months, your child is at rest for developing dental malocclusions. Common dental changes observed in extended thumb/finger sucking or pacifier usage include:

-anterior open bite (when the upper and lower teeth that slant outward so they don’t touch when the back teeth are closed)

-overjet (upper front teeth protrude outward)

-posterior cross bite (when the upper back teeth bite down inside the bottom back teeth)

So, now that you know your child isn’t destined to have crooked teeth because of “bad genes,” are you ready to take action and help get them on the right track? An orofacial myologist can identify and get you and your child on the right path remediate the above issues — Give us a call today!