Bad Childhood Habits as a Reason for Orthodontic Issues - Short, Informative Interview with Dr. Dobrila Kangova , General Dentist at Korona Dental

The normal and correct growth as well as development of facial and jaw structures including muscles and soft tissues begins since early age when the milk teeth erupt; however, each deviation would contribute to development of orthodontic issues.

Which are the most common causes of orthodontic irregularities?

Great percent of orthodontic problems are genetically inherited, in particular the skeletal ones related with the jaw and the bones. They develop due to irregular functions, bad habits and premature extraction of primary teeth or prevalence of dental trauma.

 What do we mean by bad oral habits in childhood?

 The presence of a bad oral habit throughout the stage when the child grows and develops may cause an orthodontic issue. Until what extent the issue will develop, depends on the frequency and repetition of the bad oral habit, intensity and timeframe related with the age of the child. Most common bad habits include prolonged finger, pacifier and objects sucking, lip-biting and tongue thrusting which pushes the teeth forward.

Another bad habit could be the breathing manner. It is important whether the child breathes through the mouth or the nose. Nose breathing is an innate reflex function; normal for each individual, however breathing through the mouth causes muscle, tongue, palate and teeth imbalance. Furthermore, this might cause an open bite, teeth protrusion, narrow face and jaw.

Are the abovementioned bad oral habits related to other functions?

Naturally they are. Teeth positioning has a major impact in nutrition, speech and the regular growth and development in general. Take speech, for instance, as a complex neuromuscular activity in the mouth connected closely with the way of breathing, bad oral habits and teeth positioning. Lately, blended food becomes a trend. Yet, it triggers underdevelopment of the chewing system, weakens the muscles, the tongue, causes formation of dental plaque which leads to an early cavity development and teeth loss.