Normal levels of growth hormone are necessary for the normal growth and development of your child's teeth and jaws. Routine dental care and timely dental screenings and assessments are important to your child's future dental health. The lack of growth hormone causes a lag in the growth of bones, which is clearly evident in a child's height. Less evident to most people are the effects of growth hormone deficiency on your child's face and teeth. Growth hormone deficiency commonly causes a lag in the growth of your child's teeth and face bones.
Growth hormone has a strong effect on bone growth, including the bones of the upper and lower jaws.
In growth hormone deficiency it is common to see a growth disorder of the jaws. This growth disorder is commonly seen as a small lower jaw or chin since the lower jaw seems to be more dependent than the upper jaw on normal growth hormone levels. There are some treatments that can, in most cases, correct these problems if the jaws are still growing. Since the jaws usually begin to grow in response to the growth hormone prescribed by your doctor, this is often the best time for this type of treatment. If the differences between the jaws is too large for braces alone then surgery may be needed later.