Crossbite Correction

Malocclusion, or misaligned teeth, is said to be one of the most common problems faced by people. It can be of many kinds. It can be skeletal in its origin, i.e., it may be due to mispositioned jaw bones, or it may be purely dental in nature, i.e., due to mispositioned teeth, or a combination of both.

One common problem experienced by people is a crossbite, which is when the lower teeth, on closing the mouth, are positioned in front of the upper teeth. Correcting this condition usually involves orthodontic braces, but it can also be done without them.

If the problem of crowding teeth that is plaguing the person is purely dental in nature, then this kind of crossbite can be treated with the help of orthodontic braces.

In this treatment option, brackets and wires are placed on teeth and the teeth are then brought into their desired position by tightening the wires, which exert force on the teeth and brings them in their ideal position in the dental arch.

This is the best way to go about crossbite correction in children whose canines have erupted, because they can easily be treated with braces.

More often than not, if the person has severe crowding and malocclusion, then he may even need to extract two or more teeth (usually the premolars), to make space for aligning teeth into their desired position in the dental arch.

So, we know that when we want to treat a crossbite in children, we usually opt for orthodontic treatment. But, what if there is a crossbite in adults? Then, how do we go about this correction in adults? Well, there are a few other non orthodontic treatment options for some cases of crossbite.

These include two options, which come under the fields of cosmetic dentistry and jaw surgery. The crossbite correction cost will vary, depending on which of these two treatments you opt for.

The first option that is available is smile designing. This is an option only in those cases where the crossbite is negligible, or where only the tips of teeth are in crossbite. In these cases, the dentist tries and does a bit of tooth preparation and then fits crowns in such a way that the crossbite is reversed.

This is a great option for those people that do not want to undergo a two yearlong orthodontic treatment, and nor do they wish to opt for surgery.

The other option that is available for people is crossbite surgery. A crossbite surgery is opted for, when there is a skeletal crossbite. Here, either the mandible is very forwardly placed, or the maxilla is retruded, or both.

The surgery aims to bring the mispositioned jaw in its right place, so that the ideal occlusion is restored. This treatment may be preceded and followed by orthodontic treatment, so that all the teeth can be brought into their desired position.

A crossbite may at times be just a sole anterior crossbite or, at times, the entire bite of a person may be a crossbite. In any case, one must try and correct this condition because it may take a toll on the person's dental health.

You will need to visit an orthodontist who will be able to tell you what treatment option will suit you best. You'll be able to see the difference once the treatment is over and the surge in your confidence is bound to show through that million dollar new found smile!