A crossbite is when the upper and lower teeth are arranged exactly opposite of their normal arrangements. It can cause chewing or eating problems because teeth were not designed to work this way. It's almost always associated with badly shaped and aligned dental arches. The upper arch is often constricted and narrow while the lower is often broad and overgrown.

          An anterior crossbite is when the lower teeth bite forward to the upper teeth. When the patient's teeth are together, the lower teeth cover up the upper teeth. This is the opposite of what is normal and it screws up the appearance of the patient's smile. It is usually caused by a very low anterior tongue thrust.

          A crossbite is almost always associated with nasal allergies that cause the inside of the nose to overgrow. The patient converts from a normal nasal breather to a mouthbreathing. Keeping the mouth open all the time to breath causes a number of dental problems including excessive vertical growth ( long face syndrome ), dry mouth and several types of malocclusions.

         People with a crossbite often have a jaw or TMJ problem. Because of the problems associated with this malocclusion, it should be treated early and all associated difficulties addressed, ie allergies. The dentists of the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. If you need orthodontic treatment, you're welcome to join our family of patients. You deserve a happy and healthy life, but it takes work achieving it. For a free orthodontic consultation with Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, call 404-874-7428. It's your first step to good health.