I have a two-year-old son whose teeth in the lower jaw protrude in front of the upper teeth, which means that he has a clear malocclusion and the lower jaw protrudes forward. He was exclusively on the breast from birth to 6 months of age and is still breastfed frequently despite the age of two. We never used a nipple or a bottle. Could such a long suckling of the breast contribute to a malocclusion and does it still not make it worse? In addition, the pediatrician pointed out the short frenulum and the need to cut it, however the ENT specialist said that "it could be practiced" and we did not cut it in the end.
In the case of a malocclusion, I would suggest an orthodontic consultation, the specialist will know how to proceed in this aspect, whether to wean the child from the breast or use an appliance that corrects the defect. In the matter of the frenulum, it would be good for a speech therapist to see them in order to assess how shortened it is, and what is the mobility of the tongue. If the tongue is functional and able to stand upright, then exercise will suffice, if the frenulum of the tongue is very shortened, it will have to be cut, as the child will have problems with the correct pronunciation of sounds in the future.
Remember that our expert's answer is informative and will not replace a visit to the doctor.
Katarzyna BąkowiczSpecialist in the field of media communication. She conducts individual therapy with adults and children, workshops for working with the body, voice and breath, training for companies.
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