Crossbite Correction

What Is A Crossbite?

A crossbite is another form of malocclusion, where the upper teeth do not align with your lower teeth. Crossbites are usually related to your genetics. However, side effects can also develop from thumb sucking or teeth emerging abnormally. A crossbite poses a real challenge for patients to chew evenly and correctly. When the upper or lower jaw is not in shape with the other, teeth will not touch as ideally and will be positioned more outward or inward. Crossbite will significantly affect how we chew and sometimes look and talk. Contact our family and children’s dentist at (262) 484-4102 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Felicia Mata-Stein for crossbite correction in Kenosha.

What Causes A Crossbite?

There are many different reasons why a crossbite may occur. In some cases, a crossbite is an inherited trait from parents or relatives. Factors such as excessive thumb-sucking or pacifier use may also cause this issue. Another source of crossbite is when your baby teeth do not fall out during childhood, causing a delay in the growth of your adult teeth. In this instance, your jawline and other teeth may have developed a crossbite to compensate for the delay.

Types Of Crossbites:

Anterior Crossbite An anterior crossbite happens when the top front teeth sit behind your lower front teeth. Anterior crossbite can seem to be an underbite but has slight differences. Posterior Crossbite A posterior crossbite is the reverse of an anterior crossbite. In this case, the upper teeth sit in front of your lower front teeth.

When Should A Crossbite Be Corrected?

A crossbite can become noticeable in the first years of the child’s teeth development. Often the malocclusion will correct itself with no orthodontic work required. If, by age 6-7, this problem has yet to correct itself, then you should consult an orthodontist. Generally, it is better to get crossbite treatments done sooner than later, especially in growing kids. Our dentist, Dr. Felicia Mata-Stein can change the shape of the jaw while the child is growing.

Benefits Of Crossbite Correction

Crossbite correction is beneficial for more than just aesthetic reasons. If your child or teen has a crossbite. In that case, they should receive treatment as soon as possible to prevent difficulties with jaw development and further oral problems. Treating crossbites as early as possible will prevent issues such as:

Chips or cracks in your teeth.
Receding gums.
Pain when chewing or biting.
Headaches or jaw pain.
Difficulty closing your mouth entirely.

If left untreated, a crossbite can cause severe issues such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), which generates pain in the jaw and surrounding muscles that control jaw movement.

What Do I Need To Do During My Crossbite Correction?

As with any orthodontic treatment, dental hygiene is one of the most critical factors. Regular brushing and flossing will help minimize the bacteria that builds up in braces or appliances used to correct your crossbite.

Before & After Crossbite Correction Case by Dr. Felicia S. Mata-Stein

Jaw and dental relationship can be corrected at an early age to avoid surgical intervention later in life. This is a before and after picture of a 4-year old child who would have suffered from the damaging effect of malocclusion on permanent dentition, attrition, fractures, headaches, and other TMJ related problems. We want to see our growing children happy, confident, and excel in life. Prevention is the best medication and early orthopedic treatment avoids heavy cost and irreversible complications vs. waiting till permanent teeth erupts. Deciduous teeth are patterns of permanent teeth. Jaw structures, relationship, and size should have enough room to accommodate the adult dentition and improves airway.

Schedule A Crossbite Correction Consultation

Call our family & children’s dentist at (262) 484-4102 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Felicia S. Mata-Stein. With over 25 years of experience, we treat patients for crossbite correction from Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Somers, Sturtevant, Mt. Pleasant, WI and many surrounding areas.