Underbite - Herndon,VA

Ask your dentist. I had this but it wasn't treated until I was a teenager so after orthodontics, I needed surgery anyway. Two of my sons (5 & 7) inherited the same facial structure. The 7 year old will start orthodontics within a year to expand the top palate and pull the bottom jaw back underneath the top jaw. My 5 year old will also start sometime at around age 7 or 8. The current thinking is that when corrected while the plates are still growing, it's more likely to correct the problem and minimizes the chances of needing surgery later.

I would go for an orthodontic consult, or even just start with your dentist.

My older son had one, and needed braces. Basically they try to pull the top of your mouth forward. If I'm not mistaken you cannot push the lower part of the jaw backward (hence the manipulation with the top side of the jaw). He had to wear head gear (night) and rubber bands religiously.

Good luck.

It's not to early to start correcting her bite. It's much easier to correct when kids are younger if they have to expand the soft palate. It moves more easily when they're young.

My older daughter had what was called an open bite. She started wearing orthodontic appliances in 3rd grade and she was finished with braces by 8th. We're glad we started young. You should get a second opinion if you aren't sure what you're doing. We can't see her bite, so we really can't help you.

I had a horrible underbite and very big gaps in my teeth when I was younger. I want to say it was 2nd/3rd grade I was given a retainer type thing (this was to avoid head gear which I did) that changed the structure of the roof of my mouth and jaw. It required me/my mom to use a key like thing 2 x a day to change the tightness etc. I would definitely take your daughter to a consult. I never had to wear a head gear, I did have to do some really funktified rubber band type things, but my underbite is gone teeth look great.

Both my boys also had underbites, but luckily it has resolved for them by the time they turned 1.5/2 yrs. I'm thinking by six tho' it would be something that intervention of some type is needed. Good Luck

It really depends on the severity of it... and a jaw changes in structure as a child grows.

You need to consult with an Orthodontist.

I had an underbite as a child. I had braces in 7th grade until 10th grade.
I don't have an underbite anymore.
I also, as part of getting braces, had to have several teeth pulled.
But now, my Dentist says, that my jaw/teeth is still moving so I STILL, ever since I had my braces, have to.... wear my retainers EVERY night. Or my teeth shifts. It has memory.

Throughout life, as a person ages, the jaw structure, shifts and grows etc.

If it is not a bad underbite, braces may not even be needed.

My friend's daughter, has a slight underbite, and well per their Dentist, he suggested braces. The girl now does have braces, since 2nd grade. She is now in 4th grade.
Honestly though, I NEVER even noticed, that she had had an underbite. I was surprised, her braces are for that reason.

You should check with your child's dentist. Our pediatric dentist, Dr. Rachelle Shaw, says you can usually get a free consultation with an orthodontist, but that for most cases, it's preferable to wait until a child has lost most of their baby teeth before beginning orthodontia. Every child is different, of course! If you need a dentist to see, I can't recommend Dr. Shaw highly enough!

my daughter had the same thing. They told me to use that tongue thing that doctors use to look in the throat..... place it under the top teeth and do some preasure a little bit , 2 times a day to help the top teeth move a little bit forward . It will correct its self eventually..... I would get some dental advise too since I can not see the bite and compare with my childs. But basicly they called it a class 3 bite and it is a jaw thing.... cosmetic correction may be needed when she is older if the other teeth don't correct the bite on its-own, but the tongue stick did help a lot and they are now over the bottom teeth.....