Key Takeaways
- A child's jaws grow in bursts rather than at a consistent pace, and the upper jaw does much of its widening during the early school years.
- Dr. Yasmin Kottait reviews jaw width, bite, and oral habits at routine visits, so families learn where their child sits in that growth timeline.
- Myobraces guide developing jaws while training the tongue and lips, which addresses the habits behind crowding as well as the crowding itself.
- An early assessment gives parents clarity, and sometimes the honest answer is simply to watch and review in six months.

Dubai, UAE – Most parents or caregivers wait for all the adult teeth to arrive before asking about teeth alignment. Dr. Yasmin Kottait, an airway-focused Pediatric Dentist with more than 20 years of experience, suggests looking earlier. By the time a full set of adult teeth comes in, she explains, the jaws have already decided how much room there is.

That decision happens quietly, over a handful of years, while a child is busy starting school and losing first teeth. Dr. Yasmin sees this stage as the most useful moment in Pediatric Dentistry Dubai that families can act on. The jaws remain responsive, the tissues adapt quickly, and small adjustments go a long way.


How Jaws Grow Through Childhood
Dr. Yasmin explains that the upper jaw completes a good deal of its widening during the early primary school years. The lower jaw keeps developing for longer and stays active into the teenage years. Those two timetables fail to overlap neatly, which is why the upper jaw deserves attention first.

A wide upper jaw gives the tongue somewhere comfortable to rest. It also leaves room for larger adult teeth to arrive in an even line. When that width falls short, the teeth compete for space, and crowding follows.

Parents often assume crowding reflects the size of the teeth. Dr. Yasmin points out that it more often reflects the size of the jaw holding them.


Why the Same Result Costs More Later
During active growth, a soft appliance can encourage the upper jaw to widen along its natural path. Children feel very little, and treatment stays straightforward. Once growth slows, the jaws settle into their adult form, and achieving the same width calls for firmer appliances or a longer plan.

Dr. Yasmin Kottait adds an important point here. Orthodontics works well at any age, and teenagers and adults achieve excellent results every day. Early guidance works with the jaws while they still grow, so the appliances stay gentler and the child wears them for less time.

She also sets expectations clearly from the start. Many children still need a finishing stage with braces later. Dr. Yasmin Kottait explains this at the first appointment, so families know the full picture from day one.


Where Myobraces Fit Into the Picture
Families across the city ask about Myobrace Dubai options. Dr. Yasmin Kottait finds most parents know the name without knowing what the appliance actually does.

A Myobrace is a soft and removable trainer for little ones. A child wears it for around an hour during the day and then overnight while sleeping. It sits over the teeth and holds the jaws in a helpful position.

The design works on two fronts at once. It guides the shape and width of the developing jaws. At the same time, it trains the muscles around the mouth, encouraging the tongue to rest against the palate and the lips to stay softly together.
Dr. Yasmin considers that second job the more interesting one, and it sits at the heart of Airway Dentistry. Habits act on the jaws every hour of every day, far longer than any appliance.
A child who breathes through the mouth or rests the tongue low keeps working against the treatment. Teaching better habits early to the children and parents gives the result a much better chance of holding.

Children remove Myobraces to eat and to brush, so families find the routine fits around school and home life without much fuss.


Signs That Make an Early Appointment Worthwhile
Dr. Yasmin Kottait, a good Pediatric Dentist in Dubai, encourages parents to trust what they notice at home. She suggests booking a review if any of the following show up.

- The front teeth overlap or sit tightly crowded together.
- The mouth stays open while a child reads, plays, or sleeps.
- A child snores or breathes noisily at night.
- Thumb sucking continues well past the early years.
- The baby teeth sit flush against each other with no gaps between them.
- The upper and lower teeth meet in a way that looks uneven.

She adds one point that reassures many parents. Gaps between baby teeth look untidy to adults, and they are a good sign. Those spaces show the jaw making room for the larger adult teeth still to come.


What an Assessment Actually Involves
Dr. Yasmin begins by talking to the family rather than reaching for instruments. She asks how the child sleeps, how they breathe, and which habits come up at home.

She then measures the width of the palate, checks how the jaws meet, and looks at tongue movement and lip tone. She watches how the child breathes at rest, which often tells her a great deal in a quiet moment. As an Airway Dentist in Dubai, she treats that observation as a really important one.

Sometimes she recommends starting with myofunctional exercises or with Myobraces in Dubai. Just as often, the honest answer is to watch and review in six months. Dr. Yasmin considers that outcome equally valuable, because the family leaves knowing where their child stands.

Her IBCCES autism-specialist certification and diploma in cognitive-based hypnotherapy shape how she works with children who find appointments difficult, and she gives those visits as much time as they need.


Frequently Asked Questions
At what age do Myobraces usually start?
Many children begin somewhere between five and ten, while the jaws remain in active growth. Dr. Yasmin Kottait assesses each child individually rather than working to a fixed age.

Does a child wear a Myobrace to school?
No, most children wear it at home for around an hour, then through the night, so school days carry on as normal.

Will braces still be needed afterwards?
Yes, sometimes. Early guidance aims to improve the foundation, which can make any later treatment simpler. Dr. Yasmin explains the realistic outlook before treatment begins.

Is the appliance uncomfortable to wear?
The material stays soft and flexible, and most children settle into it within the first week or two.

What if a child is already eleven or twelve?
Good options remain, including expanders and aligners. Dr. Yasmin maps out the choices at a consultation.

Does mouth breathing affect jaw growth?
Yes, a child who breathes through the mouth rests the tongue low, away from the palate, and Airway Dentistry looks at that pattern alongside the alignment.


Find Out Where the Window Sits
Growth keeps moving whether or not anyone is watching it. A single appointment with the best Pediatric Dentist in Dubai tells a family exactly where their child stands today.

Book a consultation with Dr. Yasmin Kottait and find out which stage your child has reached.

About Dr. Yasmin Kottait:
Having dedicated over 20 years of her career to spreading smiles and imparting knowledge of oral hygiene to children, Dr. Yasmin is a renowned name as the best Dentist for Kids in Dubai. Her joyful personality and magical kid-whispering powers make dental appointments for kids an easy sail – and lots of fun, that they never miss a single dental appointment with her! Dr. Yasmin is also one of the few Autism-friendly Dentists in the region, with a diploma in Cognitive Based Hypnotherapy and IBCCES Autism certification.