http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Bottles-may-misalign-baby-teeth/2006/10/29/1162056855298.html
Bottles may misalign baby teeth
October 29, 2006
Nasal allergies, bottle-feeding and thumb sucking may
all contribute to certain types of tooth misalignments in young children, a
study shows.
In a study of nearly 1,200 children between the ages of four and five,
Mexican researchers found that those who were bottle-fed, used pacifiers or
sucked their thumb before the age of one were more likely to have a posterior
crossbite - where the upper teeth in the back of the mouth bite down behind,
rather than in front of, the lower teeth.
Similarly, children with nasal allergies were more likely to develop an open
bite, in which the top and bottom teeth in the front of the mouth do not connect
when the jaw closes.
Many studies have linked bottle-feeding, pacifier use and thumb sucking to
teeth misalignments, but the evidence regarding allergies has been mixed.
The new findings suggest that all of these factors contribute to teeth
misalignment, though only certain types, according to the study authors, led by
Dr Francisco Vazquez-Nava of the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas.
They report the results in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
When babies suck on bottles, pacifiers or their fingers, the muscles of the
head and face move differently than they do when breast-feeding. This could
hinder the "harmonious" development of the jaw and hard palate, misaligning the
baby teeth and possibly the permanent teeth, Vazquez-Nava explained.
In particular, he told Reuters Health, giving babies bottles and pacifiers
early in life, and continuing to do so beyond the first year, may interfere with
normal development of the dental structures.
Research suggests that about two-thirds of children who suck their thumbs or
use pacifiers for at least four months in their first year of life have some
form of dental misalignment, Vazquez-Nava said.
With nasal allergies, the misalignment may stem from the tendency of children
to chronically breathe with their mouths open and to move the tongue along the
roof of the mouth to relieve itching.
The risk of tooth misalignment is one more reason to diagnose and treat
allergies sooner than later, Vazquez-Nava said.
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