What is a Cross bite? Signs, Effects, and Treatment

Cross bite is a tooth condition where one or more teeth are placed in an irregular position. They can prevent jaws from fitting properly; this, in turn, makes speaking and eating a difficult task. Cross bite, when ignored and not treated can cause complications to the jaws leading to abnormal growth of the jaws. This growth will make you look odd and will have a bad effect on the entirety of your facial form. Cross bite can also affect smiles and bring about low self-esteem. Early loss of milk teeth, thumb sucking, using a pacifier or feeding bottle for a lengthy period, and growing adult teeth, when they are still losing baby teeth can cause cross bite in children. Therefore, children around age 6 and 7 should be given orthodontic care to check if they may develop any issues related to cross bite in the future. There are two types of cross bite: Anterior Cross bite and Posterior Cross bite.

Some signs relate to a cross bite, and they are Speaking of challenges or impediments, causing you to slur. If you also experience lisp when trying to speak, mispronouncing words, and finding it difficult to articulate properly. When the two lines of your teeth do not meet each other, and you face difficulties closing your mouth appropriately. Painful feeling in the jaw, as a result of too many teeth, packed too close inside the cheek. Constant biting on the inner tongue and cheeks especially while eating or speaking. The bites are often very painful and can hardly be controlled.

The following are common cross bite treatment options are expander; using maxillary or palatal expanders can be effective. It is removable and can be worn at night and taken off in the morning. Envisaging treatment or the use of braces, you can consult your dentist to recommend a good one. For severe cases, orthographic surgery is the best treatment plan. Your jaw will be skillfully reconstructed, and customized oral devices will be used to align your teeth properly.