A crossbite is a form of teeth misalignment that can happen to certain people. It can hinder people’s willingness to smile as they deem it unattractive. But rest assured, there are ways to fix this!

Usually, this happens due several habits during childhood, Los Algodones dentists explain. And if it does not correct itself as the person grows up, then a little bit of intervention might be necessary.

What is a crossbite?

A crossbite in simple words is a malocclusion. This means that the person suffers from an overbite or underbite. Of course, this type of malocclusion affects a whole row of teeth rather than just a single tooth.

Usually, in a normal bite, both upper and lower teeth are aligned in such a way that neither overlaps. In a crossbite, either of these are positioned irregularly in such a way that they are misaligned.

How does it happen?

Most of the time, it is developed from childhood years as we briefly mentioned earlier.

As such, the following take a role in this:

Thumb sucking

Sometimes called out to the children as a way to stop to stop this habit, it has some truth in it.

As the child sucks on their thumb, this prompts changes in the shape of their mouth. Doing so for lengthy periods of time can and will slowly deform the oral cavity of the toddler.

When milk teeth are lost and the adult ones come in, if their appearance is interrupted, delayed, or simply abnormal, it can be an issue.

So when a tooth is missing in our mouth, it is very likely that the others will shift around. This is due several reasons such as pressure, use, and even due bone structure.

Mouth breathing

Mouth breathing can also trigger changes when done for extended periods of time.

This happens to children that due different reasons they have trouble breathing through their noses. You’ll notice that by breathing through your nose, the tongue sits against the upper palate which helps in its development. So naturally, when one breathes through the mouth, this whole setup changes.

Genetics

There is also the possible chance that the cause of a crossbite is genetics. A person with a wider lower or upper jaw bone has the chance to develop that way.

What problems come from having a crossbite?

Los Algodones dentists tell us about the problems someone with a crossbite usually faces:

Headaches

This is due the misalignment of the teeth. When the teeth are in uneven position, it puts an extra amount of pressure in other areas of the head. So as the pressure is all uneven, it may also cause pain in the neck and shoulders area.

Tooth decay

By having uneven and misaligned teeth, naturally it is difficult to brush them properly. Even more so it becomes quite troublesome to floss! As such, it is also a reason for people to develop tooth decay more easily than others.

Gum disease

Likewise with the tooth decay, gum disease and gingivitis is highly likely. Gum disease appears when the gums are affected and disturbed by plaque and tartar, making them swell and bleed easily.

Pain when biting

And of course, we have pain when eating. This is also due all the stress and pressure targeting specific points rather than being spread out.

How is it treated?

Tooth eruption

Luckily, there are many options to fix a crossbite. Although it is best to treat them as early as possible, these treatments are safe and available for adults as well:

• Palatal expanders are a device used for widening the upper palate by attaching them to it and the upper teeth. It works best on children as they are still growing.
• Removable expanders are a device that work like the palatal expanders but on a smaller scale. They are only worn at night and can help adults correct slight problems with a crossbite.
• There are also surgeries that seek to expand the palate. This is done by intentionally breaking the jaw bone and having the patient wear a special device afterwards. The results are far quicker than that of the devices, of course.
• And then we have braces, which is used after an expansion or as a treatment itself. Through the pressure applied by braces, it can help aligning the upper or lower teeth depending on the severity of the case.