Have you noticed that your child has a lisp or other speech issues? This may be due to his or her teeth. In a perfect world, your child’s teeth would line up perfectly but unfortunately, that is not always the case. When the teeth are misaligned one of the results is an open bite, a known reason for children to speak with a lisp.
With an open bite, both the upper and lower front teeth do not properly meet, creating a gap when the mouth is closed. This opening between the front and bottom teeth not only affects the appearance of your child’s smile but also can lead to a lisp or other speech impediments.
There are several reasons why your child may develop an open bite. It can be caused when there is a misalignment with the jawbone or when they are still losing their teeth and have both baby teeth and permanent teeth. Once the permanent teeth come in, your orthodontist can better tell if the bite will match up correctly or will need orthodontic treatment.