Cautionary Signs

Open Mouth Posture

Even when the lips are slightly apart – this habit can have an effect on developing jaws and teeth. Check your child when they are asleep and when they are concentrating on some quiet activity, like TV, computer or reading.

Open Mouth Posture

Long Face Syndrome and Recessive Chin

If the lower facial portion appears tall and chin is set back from the upper portion of face, call to schedule an evalaution to access poor facial growth.

Long Face Syndrome and Recessive Chin

Forward head posture

Children who habitually hold their heads forward to improve breathing, put a strain on the neck and jaw muscles and dramatically affect the shape of the face.

Facial movements when swallowing

Signs of reverse swallow or tongue thrusting are physically noticeable when the lips purse, the skin on the chin wrinkle up, and, sometimes, the head bob forward.

Facial movements

Tongue thrusting forward when swallowing, eating, or talking

The tongue is a powerful muscle and can alter teeth if it is pushing on them all the time. Watch for the tongue sticking out during swallowing, speaking or at rest.

Under-eye circles

The dark circles are from the pooling of blood and is a sign of poor circulation, mouth-breathing over-breathing are often the culprits.

Under-eye circles

Frequent cold, Stuffy nose or Allergies

These symptoms may be related to varying reasons, but the associated mouth breathing, and open mouth posture contributes to teeth development and creates crooked teeth

Frequent cold, Stuffy nose or Allergies

Tongue Tied

If the tongue is bound to the bottom of the mouth so that it cannot easily rest on the roof of the mouth (the upper palate) there will be narrowing of the upper jaw. Have your child curl the tongue up and back to see the attachment.

Tongue Tied

Chapped lips

When the lips lose moisture, the skin covering them can become tight and start to split. Open mouth posture (mouth-breathing) encourages evaporation because the air is constantly passing over the lips. When lips are chapped all year long, suspect open mouth posture.

Chapped lips

Swollen Tonsils and Adenoids

Overgrown or abnormal Tonsils interrupt nasal breathing and can cause poor facial growth, evaluating at an early age is aligned with IO.

Restless sleep and Bedwetting

One reason for these symptoms is poor breathing and poor oxygen exchange. This can be caused by the same open mouth posture that leads to crooked teeth.

Snoring or loud noises during sleep

Snoring is the first stage of Sleep Disordered Breathing and can lead to more serious breathing problems. In infants, snoring can be paired with behavior and attention problems by 1st grade (Bonuck, 2012). Snoring is not to be considered “normal”.

Crowding, Narrow arches and Open-bite

These are the most apparent symptoms that are recognized as signs for seeing the orthodontist. The question that an integrative orthodontist will ask is, “Why did the teeth get like this?”

Crowding, Narrow arches and Open-bite

Call Nikaeen Orthodontics at (310) 444-1113 or email us to schedule your free initial consultation in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.