Crossbite

Misaligned teeth can cause discomfort when biting or chewing, an unusual facial appearance, rare speech difficulty, mouth breathing, or trouble biting into food.

A difference between jaw sizes or between jaw and tooth size can cause an abnormal bite. Crossbites can also be associated with crowding, early tooth loss, ectopic teeth, and adverse skeletal growth.

Evaluation continues through primary, mixed, adolescent, and adult dentitions because eruption and growth can change the bite. Early correction is generally easier while bones are softer and teeth move more readily.

Inherited jaw proportions, cleft lip or palate, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, prolonged bottle use, impacted teeth, and poorly fitting dental appliances are possible contributors to malocclusion.

A dentist checks how the back teeth meet while you bite down. X-rays and diagnostic models may be needed to map tooth position, jaw relationship, and developing teeth.

Braces, wires, springs, and sometimes clear aligners move teeth into position. Where crowding is part of the problem, teeth may be removed; rare jaw discrepancies can require surgery.

The work can range from an orthodontic appliance to extraction or, rarely, jaw surgery. The required correction and treatment duration determine the scope of care.

Malocclusion can make teeth harder to clean and raise the risk of decay and gum disease. Treatment can bring temporary mouth or gum irritation, discomfort, and difficulty chewing or speaking.

Many bite problems cannot be prevented. Reducing thumb sucking and tongue thrusting, and addressing early tooth loss or developing bite changes, can limit factors that worsen malocclusion.