Dr. Yan Razdolsky is a Buffalo Grove orthodontist who corrects all types of malocclusion. Here, he discusses how he corrects open bite.
In the legal world, a case or problem that is “open and shut” is a case where the facts are clear and it’s easy to make a decision or find a solution.
Luckily for our patients, most orthodontic cases are open and shut for Buffalo Grove orthodontist Dr. Yan Razdolsky, including cases of open bite.
What’s that? We’re glad you asked. Open bite is the term used to describe a bite where the front upper teeth don’t overlap the lower teeth when your jaws are closed. The upper and lower teeth also are pushed outward.
Sometimes open bite has genetic causes, such as abnormal craniofacial development. Another cause is temporomandibular joint disorder, where the patient suffers from persistent jaw pain and pushes the teeth apart with the tongue to create a more comfortable position for the jaw.
Most frequently, the cause of open bite is attributed to poor oral habits, such as thumb sucking and tongue thrust. Tongue thrust occurs when your child pushes the tongue into the space between the upper and lower teeth to create a seal when swallowing food and liquids. Doing this repeatedly worsens the open bite by driving the teeth farther apart.
These habits create abnormal muscle forces that have the power over the course of time to cause enough imbalance in your child’s normal growth and create a malocclusion or even facial asymmetry. It is common for permanent correction of open bite to include not only orthodontic treatment, but speech therapy as well. That’s because when this problem is created by poor oral habits, those habits must be corrected for the orthodontic treatment to provide a permanent repair of the malocclusion.
There isn't always a cause for alarm when your child has open bite, however. Not every case of open bite will require orthodontic correction. Almost all children go through a period of open bite at some point between the ages of 7 and 12, while they are in the process of losing baby teeth and gaining permanent teeth.
But how do you know if you should let the condition ride or be concerned about your child’s open bite? By scheduling your child for an orthodontic evaluation. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that you schedule this initial evaluation when your child reaches age 7. At this stage of growth, your child has a mixture of baby and adult teeth, and the bite is established. Dr. Razdolsky can take X-rays and perform a thorough assessment of the teeth, bite and jaws to determine what treatment – if any – is necessary.
If your child’s open bite needs orthodontic correction, rest assured you both are in good hands with Dr. Razdolsky. He has been an orthodontist since 1987, and he is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics. Under his care, you can rest easy knowing your child will end treatment with a beautiful smile.
