Treating a cross bite with braces?

[Ering]

Hi.
I Have teeth that are a crossed bite and I am worrying that it is going to be complicated to treat this with braces. The bottom teeth on the left are crossed in front of the top teeth and the right side is behind them so it is obvious that there is a bite discrepancy. I have put off seeing an orthodontist up until this point because I think it is going to be very hard to treat this cross bite. My dentist has said that it would definitely be difficult because you have to straighten the teeth as well as trying to straighten the jaw. I am prepared for this to take a long time but it is the complicated nature of the treatmen that is worrying me. I envision all different kinds of braces that are going to be needed and I feel nervous about starting this process if it is going to be very difficult. How are braces going to treat a cross bite? Is it going to be difficult?

[Sharon]

Hello,
Thank you for your post.
Orthodontic treatment can be used to successfully correct all kinds of malocclusions, including cross bites, so if you do want to have treatment for this I recommend you visit an orthodontist for a consultation. Although bite problems can sometimes be more complicated that simply straightening out a few teeth, that doesn’t mean that your treatment is going to be arduous and lengthy; it depends what sort of brace your dentist recommends and the prognosis after the initial consultation. There are very few dental problems that will surprise an experienced orthodontist, so your treatment is not necessarily going to be very difficult. Your condition may require a number of orthodontic appliances or it could be as simple as fixed braces that are gradually adjusted to keep the teeth moving. You might also have to wear a removable brace so that the dentist is in control of all tooth movement throughout the treatment process. It’s hard to say how long this kind of treatment would take but your orthodontist should be able to give you a more accurate estimate of the length of time you will have to wear braces, and also how complicated it is going to be to treat the bite problem.