“Is jaw surgery necessary for a crossbite?”
I have a crossbite and want to fix it. Is jaw surgery necessary for a crossbite?
9 Answers
In some cases, yes but not always.
Always remember: you’re not going to die from a cross bite!! It’s somewhat of a quality of life issue and somewhat an orthodontic issue… having teeth properly aligned and related to each other in many ways ensures longevity of your teeth. Small cross bites can often be corrected orthodontic, i.e., without the need for jaw surgery, but please discuss this issue further with your treating orthodontist and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon prior to proceeding.
It depends. If your cross bite is caused by dentally, then an orthodontist, specialist in brace, can correct your problem. If it is a skeletal problem, i.e., your jaw bone grow at different rate, then you will need a jaw surgery to correct it. The best advice is for you to seek a consultation with an orthodontist first, if he/she thinks it is a jaw issue, then he/she will refer you to a certified oral & maxillofacial surgeon for treatment.
For adults with a more severe cross bite, jaw surgery may be recommended. The goal of jaw surgery is to reset and correctly align your jaw. While it heals, you may need to get additional treatments, such as braces, to ensure that the cross bite is fixed.
A cross bite is a result of the Maxilla (upper arch) stopping growing before the Mandible (lower jaw), which results in a cross bite. Therefore, correction depends on whether you are an adult or a child. If you are a child, early orthodontic intervention with a palatial expander & with possible braces are used for completion of the correction. As an adult, your growth is completed & surgery is needed to achieve correction of a cross bite. Some people of course choose not to have surgery due to the some of the possible surgical complications & choose Orthodontic treatment to improve, not correct the situation. In addition, many do nothing & live with the cross bite.
There is not enough information to give you an answer. There are different types of cross bites and different severities of a cross bite. Your age may also help determine which treatment plan will give you the best success.
The simple answer to the question: “I have a crossbite and want to fix it. Is jaw surgery necessary for a crossbite?” is no! Cross bites are the result of deficient bone structure in the maxilla. An anterior cross bite can be corrected by orthopedic correction of the pre-maxilla and posterior cross bites by simple expansion of the maxilla. This can be done at any age, in spite of the much believed false information that surgery is necessary. For more information on this, please refer to my published books Straight Talk about Crooked Teeth and The NEO Way, available on Amazon.
Kindly,
S. Kent Lauson, DDS, MS, Orthodontist.
Kindly,
S. Kent Lauson, DDS, MS, Orthodontist.
That depends on the extent of cross bite and the age of the patient. Talk with an orthodontist.
I have corrected many cross bites with orthodontics.
MDSDDS
MDSDDS
