If your child has seen the dentist regularly, and brushed and flossed daily, there’s a good chance they’ve avoided advanced tooth decay. But another problem might already be growing right under your nose—a poor dental bite (malocclusion).

A dental bite refers to the way the upper and lower teeth fit together. In a normal bite the teeth are in straight alignment, and the upper teeth slightly extend in front of and over the lower when the jaws are shut. But permanent teeth erupting out of position or a jaw developing abnormally can set the stage for a malocclusion.

Although the full effects of a malocclusion may not manifest until later, there may be signs of its development as early as age 6. If so, it may be possible to identify a budding bite problem and “intercept” it before it goes too far, correcting it or reducing its severity.

Here are 6 signs your school-age child could be developing a malocclusion.

Excessive spacing. If the spacing between teeth seems too wide, it could mean the size of your child’s teeth are out of proportion with their jaw.

Underbite. Rather than the normal upper front teeth covering the lower, the lower teeth extend out and over the upper teeth.

Open bite. There’s a space or gap between the upper and lower teeth even when the jaws are shut.

Crowding. Due to a lack of space on the jaw, incoming teeth don’t have enough room to erupt and may come in misaligned or “crooked.”

Crossbites. Some of the lower teeth, either in front or back of the jaw, overlap the upper teeth, while the rest of the upper teeth overlap normally.

Protrusion or retrusion. This occurs if the upper front teeth or jaw appear too far forward (protrusion) or the lower teeth or jaw are positioned too far back (retrusion).

Besides watching out for the preceding signs yourself, it’s also a good idea to have your child undergo a comprehensive bite evaluation with an orthodontist around age 6. If that does reveal something amiss with their bite, intervention now could correct or lessen the problem and future treatment efforts later.

If you would like more information on children’s bite development, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.