Crossbite Correction in Children:When Is The Right Time?

As parents, it is natural to worry about your child’s development and their health. Since the first 10-15 years of a child’s life are meant to be their growing years, parents are very involved and aware of how their child is doing physically and mentally. And sometimes, when parents catch a problem early in time, it can be easy to reverse it too! This is particularly true in the case of catching a crossbite in your child’s teeth.

What is Crossbite in Children?

Crossbite is a serious dental misalignment issue in which the upper jaw sits inside the lower jaw when a child bites. In normal and healthy bites, the upper jaw must slightly overlap the lower jaw. However, in a crossbite, the opposite occurs which can affect either the back of the teeth or the front of the teeth. Thankfully, there are many crossbite treatment options available today for kids and adults alike to resolve this issue.

What Happens If the Crossbite is not treated?

If a crossbite is not treated at the right time, it can cause many difficulties in children. Some major crossbite issues include

Difficulty in chewing and eating: A crossbite can affect the way your child chews and hinder it. In turn, these issues could result in lower nutrition, along with speech issues like a lisp etc, too.

Misalignment of the jaw: If left untreated, a crossbite in a child could develop into a full-blown jaw misalignment which can lead to extreme jaw pain and discomfort in chewing, speaking and eating.

Tooth wear and tear: As mentioned before, crossbites can affect the strength of the teeth and result in dental wear and damage. This can weaken the tooth through erosion, and sensitivity and make it more prone to chipping too.

Can Parents Prevent Crossbite in Their Children?

There are a few reasons why a crossbite occurs in children. While many crossbites simply appear due to genetics, there are a few habits as babies or young children that can lead to a crossbite too. They are:

• A prolonged habit of thumb-sucking
• Long use of sippy cups or water bottle sippers
• Swallowing abnormally
• Mouth breathing
• Delayed loss of baby teeth

By noticing and curbing such habits or traits, and taking your child for frequent dental visits, you can undertake the management of crossbite in your children.

At What Age Should You Get Your Child's Crossbite Corrected?

It is always best if a crossbite is detected early as the treatment time for a crossbite reduces. As children are in the process of developing their jaw and teeth, catching a misalignment like a crossbite early on can greatly help prevent future dental issues.

Children from the age of 7 and above can get their crossbite corrected using palate expanders to widen the roof of the mouth and resolve the crossbite. Other forms of treatments for crossbite correction are dental headgear or braces and aligners.

makeO Toothsi: Your Solution To Crossbite Issues

makeO toothsi’s clear aligners are a clear, smart and convenient way of correcting bite issues like crossbite. Not only are these aligners made from superior quality plastic which sits comfortably on your teeth, but these are also entirely clear to see and removable! So if you are looking for a comfortable and modern crossbite treatment option, be sure to check out our clear aligners!

How do they work? makeO toothsi clear aligners are a set of invisible plastic trays that are custom-made to snugly fit your teeth. When they are worn for 22 hours per day regularly, they apply gentle pressure on the teeth and slowly push the teeth into their correct positions. This way you can correct all kinds of misalignments with toothsi clear aligners without having to compromise on the aesthetic value of your smile!

To conclude, crossbites are a common misalignment issue which when caught early can be treated quickly and effectively. The best time to correct your child’s crossbite is from age 7 and above. Orthodontic intervention or crossbite correction during the ages of 7-10 can greatly help correct the misalignment swiftly and prevent any future damage, decay, infection and more.

FAQs

How do you treat a crossbite in a child?

Since children’s jaws are growing, their crossbites can be treated with palate expanders. Even braces and aligners are other options for crossbite correction in children.

At what age should a crossbite be corrected?

The earlier it is caught, the easier is the management of crossbite. While there is no set age as the right age for crossbite correction, many professionals believe age 7 and above onwards is the best time to correct a crossbite. If you feel like your child is facing a crossbite, make sure to take them for a dental visit and consider the opinion of a trained expert.

What is the treatment for a crossbite?

Typically an upper jaw widener or a palate expander is used for crossbite treatment. For adults, even braces, aligners and other dental appliances can do the trick!

Will a crossbite correct itself?

Sometimes crossbites in children can be corrected naturally. But, if the misalignment persists beyond the age of 7, then it is time for orthodontic intervention.