Orthodontic crossbite
The Crossbite is a form of malocclusion in which one or more teeth are not in the correct position. Maxillary teeth should occlude or bite out of the lower teeth , ie , as if you’re closing a box ( Fig . 1).
An eight-year old patient came to our clinic with the problem of a unilateral posterior cross bite. Teeth from the left deciduous canine to the first molar, were positioned inwardly (Fig. 2). This misplacement caused a mandible deviation to the left (Fig. 3).
The diagnosis was a narrow maxilla and lack of space for a proper teeth eruption (Fig. 4).
One of the most used treatments for orthopedic correction is the maxillary expander. It is a fixed device with various designs according to each patient, which allows the maxilla suture opening and the transverse maxilla correction (Fig. 4 and 5). It is a device with an easy adaptation by patients and is usually activated 1 or 2 times a day until the correct maxilla width. Once this is achieved, the device is maintained as a retainer for 6 months.
In this case we used a very comfortable expander and within a month the width correction (Fig. 7) and mandibular deviation were obtained. We can appreciate the correct occlusion/bite and centering of the top and bottom dental midlines (Fig. 9).
With this treatment the patient can now chew correctly in a balanced and physiological manner without risks of creating any dysfunction or skeletal asymmetries often developed in non diagnostic or treated crossbites. Besides that, at the same time, we have achieved more maxillary space for proper eruption of permanent teeth. The patient was so happy with her treatment and the team that gave us a surprise with a spectacular gift (Fig. 10).
If you have any questions, we are at your disposal,
Dr. Pedro Dominguez
