Crossbite
A Crossbite occurs when a top tooth or several top teeth, bite inside the bottom teeth. The cause can be skeletal such as an under-developed upper jaw (maxillary hypoplasia) or even an over-developed lower jaw (mandibular hypertrophy). Crossbites can also be dental in nature where a tooth erupts at a poor angle or is forced out of the dental arch due to crowding. It is important that crossbite be corrected as soon as they are diagnosed. Skeletal crossbites can only be corrected by altering the skeletal size of the maxilla via expansion.
prior to mid-teenage, the upper jaw is in two pieces; if we push the two halves apart (with a fixed expander), then we can widen the maxilla and restore ideal arch width. the sooner this is accomplished, the straighter the teeth will erupt, the sooner the airways will open and the less chance there will be of extraction of permanent teeth. Dental crossbites can be corrected during normal braces.
Problems caused by crossbites:
- Poor occlusion where multiple teeth or even all teeth occlude poorly
- Crossbites can cause chronic dislocation of the mandible leading to severe wear and TMD (jaw pain)
- Loss of symmetric jaw development
- Abnormal chewing styles
- Crossbites create many interferences in the bite during function and can lead to Bruxism and muscle splinting/pain
Crossbite
Each case of crossbite must be evaluated and treated uniquely. A crossbite that involves just one tooth can be corrected with braces or sometimes a retainer. However, when the crossbite involves several teeth, or the problem is skeletal, the dental arch must be enlarged with braces, an expander, or other intra-oral growth modification appliances. As is usual, the earlier this is treated, the better the outcome and the more stable the result. Skeletal crossbites should always be corrected by age 8 as they are a sign of growth discrepancies that can also lead to impacted teeth, jaw surgery or removal of permanent teeth for space later.
Crossbite
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