A crossbite is basically a misalignment of a tooth or teeth where one or more teeth are positioned irregularly; they’re closer to the cheek or tongue, rather than their ideal position.
Crossbite can prevent jaws from closing properly, making it difficult to eat and speak. The situation can even have psychological effects and may cause you to lose your confidence.
Getting treated for this condition is vital because if you don’t, it can lead to the improper growth of the jaw, eventually resulting in one side of the jaw growing larger. This improper growth affects your entire facial structure.
If not treated, crossbites not only impact the aesthetics and affect your smile but also lead to dangerous dental complexities.
Let’s find out more about this condition:
Signs Related To Crossbite
- The two rows of teeth don’t touch each other
- Not being able to speak properly and having a lisp
- Biting on the inner cheek and tongue more often while speaking or eating
- Pain in the jaw
- Pain in one or several teeth
- Severe headaches
If you have one or several of these symptoms, make sure to visit us at Kirkland Family Dentistry for an examination.
Effects Of Crossbite
Crossbite doesn’t only disorientate your smile and lip region but can cause other problems, too. These include:
- Severe Headaches: Crossbites are closely linked to headaches, not only in adults but children as well. Teeth are not only used for chewing but to support your facial muscles as well. When your jaws aren’t properly aligned, it puts a strain on the jaw muscles and joints, which are linked with nerves that go to the brain. This causes headaches. Moreover, these nerves also run down our neck and shoulders and may cause severe pain in those regions.
- Tooth Decay: It’s difficult to brush misaligned teeth due to their shape and position. Not being able to brush and floss properly can lead to tooth decay, as it’s easy for bacteria to hit a tooth that isn’t cleaned.
- Painful Bites: Crossbite snatches the luxury of biting on hard things, making it difficult to even enjoy your favorite fruits at times. It generates unbearable pain; therefore, it’s important that you consider treatment before it gets any worse.
Treatment Options For Crossbites
Visiting a dentist in Kirkland WA should be your priority when you suffer from a crossbite. Crossbites can occur in children, teenagers, and adults too. There are a few reliable and effective treatment options that can treat your crossbite. These include:
- Tooth Extraction: If there’s only a single tooth that’s misaligned due to overcrowding then tooth extraction can be done. It’s a painful process that can be made simpler with the use of anesthesia and costs only around $200.
- Braces: Braces like Quad Helix Expander and Rapid Maxillary Expander can be used to correct this condition. While braces tend to work slowly, they have proven beneficial and cost around $3000 to $8000. You’ll want to ask your dentist if Invisalign or Candid Clear aligners would work for you or your child.
Conclusion
Crossbites should never be ignored and must be treated as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the jaws and other teeth.
