In a mouth with all teeth in their proper place, the front teeth should slightly overlap the bottom teeth when the jaw is closed. If you notice a big gap between your child’s front teeth and lower teeth, then your child likely has what is known as an “open bite tendency.”

Open bite tendency may be the result of natural development. It could also be the result of adult teeth growing in and pushing the baby teeth forward – a condition remedied when all baby teeth are gone and adult teeth have room to maneuver into place.

A third potential cause of open bite is habitual thumb sucking or tongue thrusting. If your child sucks her thumb, she could be pushing her upper teeth up and her lower teeth back. This isn’t a big problem if the issue is with her baby teeth, but if she still sucks her thumb when her adult teeth start coming in, she could permanently ruin her smile.

There are many ways to break a post-toddler thumb sucking habit. One very effective option is the Blue Grass Appliance U. Ask your dentist about this special oral appliance – and save a bite.