What Happens If You Don’t Treat a Misaligned Bite in Kids?

Posted on January 15, 2026

Malocclusion: Some parents expect the diagnosis of a misaligned bite, but others are surprised. Your reaction might also vary depending on your kid’s age. If they’re seven or eight, you probably think you should wait. If they’re 12 or 13, you might still want to wait to see how things fill out. Maybe your child doesn’t really need years of braces.

 

We get it and, in some cases, waiting is the best idea. However, in other cases, waiting can mean that your kid (and you) deal with issues that are much harder to fix.

 

The Jaw Doesn’t Wait

 

Children’s jaws are growing. The whole reason early orthodontic evaluation matters is that the same period of rapid jaw development that makes certain problems fixable at nine or 10 can make those same problems harder to address at 15 or 17.

 

Bite issues that involve the relationship between the upper and lower jaw (think crossbites, underbites, and significant overbites) respond best to treatment during active growth phases. An expander used at age eight (called Phase 1 treatment) to widen a narrow upper jaw takes advantage of a suture in the palate that hasn’t fully fused. Getting the same result at 14 may require jaw surgery.

 

What a Bad Bite Does to Teeth Over Time

 

A misaligned bite functions differently, and function has consequences. When upper and lower teeth don’t meet the way they’re supposed to, certain teeth absorb far more chewing force than they were designed to handle. That translates into accelerated wear on the enamel.

 

Enamel doesn’t grow back. Once it’s worn away, it’s gone. That can mean sensitivity, discoloration, and vulnerability to decay that follows them for life.

 

Crossbites have their own specific pattern of damage. When the upper and lower teeth bite into each other incorrectly on one side, the jaw shifts to compensate. Over the years, this can affect facial symmetry.

 

Breathing and Sleep

 

The structure of the jaw and palate directly affects the airway. A narrow upper arch often correlates with a narrower nasal passage and reduced airway volume during sleep. In children, this can contribute to mouth breathing, snoring, and, in some cases, pediatric sleep apnea.

 

Children with sleep-disordered breathing are often tired, which gets misread as laziness. They may have difficulty concentrating, which gets misread as a behavioral issue.

 

Speech

 

Certain bite patterns affect articulation. A significant open bite (where the upper and lower front teeth don’t make contact when the back teeth are closed) can make it difficult or impossible to form certain sounds correctly. A child working around a structural speech issue may need a speech therapist alongside whatever orthodontic correction is eventually needed.

 

Not sure whether your child’s misaligned bite needs orthodontic intervention? Our orthodontic team offers comprehensive evaluations and can tell you what’s worth watching and what needs attention now.