The reason why the baby's lower teeth cover the upper teeth

Many parents will find that the newly grown tooth of their children is different from ours. The positions of the upper and lower teeth are different, and they cannot bite together when biting. This is called overbite, which has a high genetic tendency. Research has found that 1/3 of overbite patients have problems with their parents. So after the appearance of overbite, we need to understand why it occurs.

The normal bite of a person's teeth is that the upper teeth cover the lower teeth, but what we usually call "overbite" is that the lower teeth protrude in front of the upper teeth, which is medically known as "crossbite".

"Overbite" has a high genetic tendency. A study once found that 1/3 of children with overbite have parents with the same problem; 1/6 of children have siblings with overbite. So, when one or both parents have an overbite, what should the baby pay attention to?

When the baby's deciduous teeth grow out, parents should observe whether the baby's teeth also have "overbite". If this is the case, it should be corrected in time, because this abnormal tooth relationship will have an adverse effect on the growth of the upper and lower jaws. The growth of the maxillary bone is inhibited by the obstruction of the lower teeth, and the growth of the mandibular bone is overgrown due to the thrust of the maxillary growth. The best time for correction is when the baby is about 4 years old. Parents can use a 1mm thick piece of wood or bamboo to place it between the inner side of the upper front teeth and the outer side of the lower front teeth, and let the baby bite it gently 100 times a day; or go to the hospital to make a removable brace, which can correct the "overbite" after wearing it for a period of time.

Although underbite of deciduous teeth is easier to correct, it will reappear in many children after their teeth are replaced. This requires choosing different treatment methods according to different types: for the problem of a sunken upper jaw, doctors have a way to solve it. When the child is 7-9 years old, the entire upper jaw can be pulled forward to a normal position by wearing a mask, and the correction can be completed in about half a year. As for the problem of a large chin, there is still no good way to inhibit the growth of the lower jaw, and treatment can usually only be carried out after it is fully developed.

Since the mandible grows later than the maxilla during the growth and development process, during puberty, patients with overbite who have been treated earlier or children with normal dental occlusion are still at risk of reappearance of overbite. At this time, most patients need to undergo combined orthodontic and orthognathic surgery treatment after puberty development is completed.