A crossbite is a dental condition resulted from mal-aligned teeth. Normally, the upper teeth are aligned slightly outside the lower teeth in order to make them meet correctly resulting in a normal bite. However, when the teeth of upper and lower rows are not placed properly, they result in an abnormal bite. Crossbite is one such type of bad bite where one or more than one teeth of the upper row are aligned behind the lower teeth instead of being outside.
Since crossbite is not visible most of the times people often tend to ignore it. But untreated crossbite can lead to serious issues like excessive wear and tear of gums and discomfort due to the uneven wearing of teeth. In severe cases, people may suffer from secondary effects of crossbites on their jaw, neck, and shoulders. Hence, it’s essential to fix crossbite.
Procedures to treat crossbite in adults
Are you wondering how to fix a crossbite in adults? Well, crossbite in adults can be fixed with the help of proper treatment. The various treatment procedures to correct crossbite in adults are as follows:
Removable expanders
In cases where very little widening of the jaw is required, removable expanders are used. Patients are required to wear the expanders during the night time. This helps in the expansion of the upper palate over time.
Palatial/maxillary expansion
In this process, the palate/jaw of the patient is adjusted with the help of a device installed to his/her upper back teeth. At prescribed intervals, the patient has to turn the key gently. With the passage of time typically over a period of 1 year, the appliance helps to widen the upper jaw thus allowing the lower teeth to fit the upper teeth.
Surgical palatial expansion
When the above two methods don’t work, a surgical process is conducted to expand the palate in adults. In this process, the jaw bone is broken into several pieces to correct the bite. After the completion of the surgery, the patient has to wear a special device which enables further expansion of the upper palate.
Orthodontic braces
Crossbites in adults can also be treated through braces. These corrective devices not only help to make the teeth straight but bring the teeth of the upper and lower jaw to correct position by applying pressure thus adjusting the bite.
Aligners
In mild cases of crossbite, the issue can be fixed by using aligners. During this procedure, the patients have to wear clear and transparent aligners that are custom-made to fit their teeth. The aligners need to be worn throughout the day.
Surgical procedure
In severe cases of crossbite in adults, where braces and expanders are not sufficient in order to fix, crossbite the lower jaw is adjusted forward, and the upper jaw is adjusted backward surgically. This helps them come in proper alignment.
It is possible to fix crossbite in adults with the help of these advanced treatments. However, the treatments should be done with the help of an experienced orthodontist.