Hi nairalanders,
My little boy (1 year old) has an underbite. He's got only 8 teeth (4 uppers and 4 lowers) but the lower teeth tend to overlap the uppers. I 've been told this problem is best corrected early. can anyone kindly tell me and good dental clinic that can handle this problem properly.
Thanks.

He is too young to have dental treatment as he still only has his baby teeth. Wait till his second set of teeth grow and then if he needs braces you can get them for him.

@xxcarolxx thanks a lot for the insight.

ur welcome

a frankel appliance is often used to correct an underbite. some must be worn at all times save when eating or drinkng while others only overnight. they must be custom made and usualy once the child is about 10 years old.

@agathamari, thanks too. Is this frankel appliance commonly available in Nigerian dental clinics?

it has to be custom made.  your large orthodontist offices would have access to it, you small one man back room dentist - no.   they will take a plaster mold of the teeth.  the measuments will be sent away for manufacturing (shouldnt take more then 2 weeks).  the appliance is made of the same material as a retainer, just larger.  it will literally take up the whole mouth and holds the jaw in such a way that it pulls the lower jaw out.  your child will complain about it because it is not comfortable at all, some even say it is mildly painful after wearing it a few hours.  usually they say to wear it for 6 month (sever underbite is all day, mild is only at night) though some can stop wearing it earlier and some have to wear it longer.  i have hear of people wearing them for over a year or as little as 3 months.  make sure you clean it very very well (vinegar is often recommenced for this).  some orthodontist will recommend head gear since it is cheaper, though very noticeable.  below is a picture of a Frankel to give you an idea

http://www.dynaflex.com/labpages/lab_cat16.html
http://dentiran.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/picture1.jpg.w300h311.jpg
http://www.northstardental.com/our-products-and-services/functional-appliances/frankel-62.html


this is a similar appliance
http://www.aso.org.au/Images/Orthodontics/Orthodontic_Appliances/bionator.jpg

another option is the herbst devise though some models are not removable.
http://tengsmiles.com/Images/herbst.jpg
http://www.roaortholab.com/images/herbst2.png