SURNAME AND INITIALS: CHAUKE F

STUDENT NUMBER:201807408
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL EFFECT OF MALOCCLUSION IN
CHILDREN.
[Link] PARAGRAPH.

How a person look plays an important role in the psychological and social development of an
individual. Teeth are an important component of how a person look. Improper arrangement of
teeth gives less pleasing effect to the face and moreover it can negatively affect a person
physically and psychologically. Malocclusion mostly affects children and is common in
children of 3 to 7 years of age (Dimberg L et al,2013). This essay will discuss the physical
and psychological effect of malocclusion in children and lastly provides solutions.

[Link] OF MALOCCLUSION.
Malocclusion is a problem in which the lower and upper teeth come together in biting or
chewing (David, 2011). In his view, there are different ways in which malocclusion may
appear, malocclusion may be seen as crooked, crowded or protruding teeth and it may have
many impact in an individual’s life.

3. TYPES OF MALOCLUSION

There are different types of malocclusion, there is overjet, overbite and overcrowding. In the
journal of orthodontist overjet is defined as when the top teeth extend over the lower teeth as
to partly cover them (Peter et al,2018). The articles further give the meaning of overbite as
when the upper front teeth extend past the bottom front teeth. In overjet the upper teeth
extend past the lower teeth while in overbite it is only the front teeth that extend past the
lower teeth. Again the article defines overcrowding as when there is too little space in the
teeth and as a result teeth end up being bent and overlapping, in their view overcrowding is
the most common type of malocclusion in adult. Lastly it defines cross bite as when the upper
teeth bite the inside of the lower teeth.

[Link] OF MALOCCLUSION.

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When a person draws something into the mouth by tightening the lip muscles and breathing
in, he or she strain the alignment of their teeth and this can cause open bite (Frank,2018).
frank also mentioned that tongue thrusting can cause malocclusion, he explained that
sometimes the jaws grow apart instead of growing parallel to each other which is caused by
genes, it is hereditary and cause teeth to slant outwards and never touch when the mouth is
closed.

Another factor that causes malocclusion that was mentioned by Frank is disease. He stressed
that certain disease like Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) causes chronic jaw pain,
and as a result people uses their tongues to push their teeth apart and speaks and push their
tongue between their lower and upper teeth, he argues that it can reposition their jaw thus
causing an open malocclusion. Furthermore, injuries in the jaw and tumours in the mouth can
lead to malocclusion.

Prolonged use of bottle feeding in children is one of the causes of malocclusion. (Emerich
and Wojtaszek-slominska ,2010). As mentioned in paragraph five that sucking strain the
alignment, so the does prolonged use of bottle feeding because for a child to draw milk into
the mouth, the child has to suck. Likewise, poor dental care like unfitting dental fillings,
crowns and braces can cause malocclusion.

There is a positive correlation between the mode of breathing and malocclusion during the
developmental stage of an individual (Dr David and Dr Derek, 2012). In their view,
prolonged oral respiration is one of the causes of malocclusion. Prolonged oral respiration
lead to dental and skeletal malformation in growing children, some of these impacts are open
bite, eruption of the molars and rotation of the mandible (the jaw bone).

5. SYMPTOMS OF MALOCCLUSION

According to Emerich and Wojtaszek-slominska (2010). The symptoms of malocclusion are

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Another sign which was mentioned by Emerich and Wojtaszek-slominska is that
malocclusion alter the shape of the face, so transformation of the face is one symptom of
malocclusion. They also mentioned that regularly bite of the tongue and inner cheeks is also a
symptom of malocclusion and lastly discomfort when chewing or biting.

[Link] EFFECT OF MALOCCLUSION IN CHILDREN.

The study conducted by Ramasamy (2015). Shows that malocclusion has great influence in
the children’s self-perception. How one sees themselves Is largely a function of facial
aesthetics, and this in turn can affect the self-esteem of a child and self-confidence, it can lead
to poor self –esteem, where children have feeling of unworthiness, consequently causing
insecurities in child’s personal judgement, abilities and power.

Ramasamy (2015). Also indicate that children with malocclusion develop social-anxieties,
which is an extreme fear of being judged or negatively evaluated or unaccepted in a social or
performance situation. In his view children with malocclusion also develop emotional
insecurities, where they feel extremely nervous and feel unworthiness. Children with
malocclusion tend to be bullied at school, other children tend to ridicule them about their
condition. Bullying an individual because of his or her condition can have long and short
term effect on that person.

Katie (2019). Argues that children who were bullied because malocclusion developed other
psychological problems, such as feeling of shame, some showed symptoms of depression,
difficulties in maintaining social relationships, even difficulties in trusting, children with
malocclusion develop trust issues. Moreover, they consistently have suicide attempts and
suicide thoughts, again they have self-destructive behaviour which include self-harm.

Not only does malocclusion have short term effect in children, malocclusion also has long
term effect in children (Katie,2009). According to her article people with malocclusion tend
to be abusive toward their spouse and children, they are also at increased risk of substance
abuse (alcohol and drugs). In her view children with malocclusion are at increased risk of
performing poor academically. Being the centre of jokes at school makes children miss
classes and consequently perform very poor. Again they can develop sociopathy behaviours
such as lack of empathy and compulsive lying.

7. PHYSICAL EFFECT OF MALOCCLUSION.

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Not only does malocclusion have psychological effect, malocclusion also have physical effect
in an individual, physical qualities, behaviours, and other things that are connected with their
body not their mind. Just like misalignment of teeth can have negative effect in one’s mind it
can also have impact them physically, although the mind always influences observable
behaviour.

According to Katie (2019). Malocclusion can have physical effect such change in eating
habits, change in behaviour. Although the mind and behaviour work together, because
observable behaviour is motivated by how an individual think, malocclusion patients are also
at risk of psychosomatic symptoms such as stomach-aches, headaches, muscle aches, and
other physical complaints with no known medical course, in general their overall health is at
risk.

Another effect that was mentioned by Katie is that children with malocclusion are less like to
be educated, in her view people who were bullied or abused tend to be abusers or bullies
themselves, she went further to demonstrate that children with malocclusion are mostly likely
to hide their teeth in public and avoid talking or smiling at all cost. likewise, they develop
antisocial behaviour. Antisocial people are likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to
people who are not of the same household as theirs. They experience change in sleeping
pattern. Malocclusion also alter the shape of the person’s face and it has also an impact in the
breathing mode, according to Katie there is a difference between breathing through the nose
and mouth, breathing through the mouth is healthier.

8. PREVENTION.

According to (Adam and William 2013). malocclusion in children can avoided by ensuring
that children are always wearing mouth guard when playing sports, if child losses a tooth
unexpectedly parents or guardians must see a dentist right way (within two hours). Another
way of preventing malocclusion from occurring is to prevent tooth decay by practicing good
oral hygiene and getting dental cleaning every six months since tooth decay causes tooth
mobility which leaves spaces between teeth.

Adam and William also suggested that removing bottle from a toddler’s mouth when the
toddler is sleeping is a good way of preventing malocclusion from occurring, not only

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removing while the child is sleeping but avoiding prolonged use of bottle feeding in children
can prevent malocclusion from occurring. The writers also encourage parents or caregivers to
reprimand children against thumb sucking as this also minimizes the chances of having
malocclusion.

Visiting a dentist, a very six months is another way of preventing malocclusion, as dentist can
spot problems with emerging teeth and jaw growth early on. If parents know that they have
malocclusion, or in the family lineage there was someone with malocclusion, parents are
advised to see a doctor, as doctors can screen the genes of an unborn baby and therefore
manipulate the genes before a child is even born.

Awareness campaigns that teach people the psychological effect of malocclusion need to be
formed (Katie, 2019). Katie suggest that it is important for friends and family members to
familiarize themselves with the situation as this will help them better understand what their
loved one is experiencing, she also encourages friends and family members to reach out to
their loved ones as soon as they start showing symptoms such self-isolation.

Children should be taught not to ridicule other children who have malocclusion (Katie, 2019).
Teachers and parents are encouraged to teach learners to put themselves in other people’s
shoes. She suggested that showing small gestures is a way of making children with
malocclusion feel loved. And lastly, parents, friends, family members are encouraged to be
patient, in Katie’s view being patient is a very important aspect of showing a that you support
them.

9. TREATMENT OF MALOCCLUSION.

Dentist who are trained to treat malocclusion are called orthodontists. Removal of one or
more teeth may be required if overcrowding Is part of the problem (Dean, 2016). Dean wrote
that orthodontist can perform a surgery to lengthen or shorten the jaw, wires, plates, or screws
may be used to stabilize the jaw. In dean’s view the surgery to correct severe malocclusion
from a misaligned jaw is called orthognathic surgery. This include procedures to move the
bone of the jaw forward, backward or even to widen it. Orthodontic surgery is usually
completed in conjunction with orthodontic treatment or braces.

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[Link].

Malocclusion can have psychological and physical effect in children, malocclusion the
improper alignment of teeth is caused by various factor such as thumb sucking and have clear
symptoms such as difficulties in speech. Malocclusion can lead to depression and many other
things in children, however it can be prevented by visiting a dentist every six month and if
not prevented malocclusion can be treated by orthodontist.

[Link].

[Link], L. (2001). An introduction to orthodontics. 2nd ed. London: oxford university