anterior crossbite

WHEN UPPER AND LOWER DENTAL MIDLINES do not line up and the lower jaw moves to the side on closing, these are signs of a bite functional shift.

When The Upper Arch Is Too Small For The Lower...

When the upper arch is too narrow or too small for the lower jaw, the lower jaw is forced to move to the side when closing. The unwanted movement, called a functional shift, temporarily relieves discomfort by creating a maximum tooth biting surface for chewing. The unnecessary jaw movement can be eliminated by upper arch expansion and comprehensive orthodontic treatment.

The Imbalance Can Be Fixed

The upper jaw may also be too small for the face and the lower jaw. This is called maxillary deficiency. The backward position of the upper jaw can be corrected with Class III rubber bands, reverse pull headgear, or an upper jaw surgical advancement procedure.

This case was treated by board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California.

If you have questions about midlines that don’t line up or a jaw functional shift, call us at 925-757-9000. Visit us at www.clubbraces.com.

Straight dental midlines are important. Eliminate your bite functional shift to get your smile into high gear.

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

WHEN PRESENT, they lead to excessive tooth wear and dark smiles. They cause you to bite your lips and cheeks. They even limit your jaw function. Any way you look at it, crossbites are not good for your dental health.

Crossbites Can Lead To Excessive Tooth Wear

When a front crossbite is present, the upper tooth appears "behind" the lower teeth. If untreated, front tooth crossbite leads to excessive tooth wear.

When a back crossbite is present, the upper tooth is "inside" the lower teeth. Back upper teeth are trapped or tipped towards the tongue. This abnormal tooth position causes your lower jaw to shift. Back crossbites lead to cheek biting, jaw shifting, and the appearance of black space in the corners of your smile.

There Are Different Options To Correct A Crossbite

Braces, Invisalign, or removable expansion appliances can fix crossbites by upper arch expansion.

Visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California (925) 757-9000 to find out how dental arch expansion can eliminate your crossbites. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Sky's the limit with orthodontic possibilities. Eliminate your crossbites today for ideal dental function, comfort, happiness, and life.

WE'VE ALL HEARD the proverb "Like father, like son" to describe the likelihood that a son will have traits like his father in adulthood. This is especially true when it comes to the genetics of jaw growth and need for orthognathic surgery.

Many young men ages 21 and older pursue correction of jaw imbalances during college or shortly after their college years. What frequently happens is Dad then follows with his own orthoganthic surgery. Now, it is "like son, like father."

Orthoganthic Surgery Can Improve Your Bite

When fathers see the beautiful results of their son's orthodontic/orthognathic surgery treatment, they start to think how nice it would be to have their own bite corrected.

Often, a jaw is advanced by orthognathic surgery. This not only corrects the bite, such as a crossbite, but also opens the airway helping to improve breathing and reduce sleep apnea.

A Corrected Bite Opens A Variety Of Options

Once a crossbite is corrected, it is now possible to have crowns and veneers done on the front teeth. Eating will be easier, and you will look gorgeous and feel great.

Orthognathic surgery is usually covered 100% by medical insurance with the exception of a small co-payment. Patients may stay overnight in the hospital and one to three weeks of work medical leave is taken. Patients are usually able to move their jaws after surgery and wear upper jaw lower jaw rubber bands while eating a soft diet for a few weeks of recovery.

If your apple hasn't fallen far from your tree and you would also benefit from orthognathic jaw surgery, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California 925-757-9000. Find us at www.clubbbraces.com.

Board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca and team have completed hundreds of successful orthognathic surgery cases with comfort. We will complete your orthodontic/orthognathic surgery treatment as gently and quickly as possible.

We know your child was a "chip of the old block." It's never too late to do a little "old block" reshaping.

WITHIN FAMILIES, it’s obvious that facial features are hereditary. The best known example is the Habsburg Family, a royal family with large lower jaws.

Anterior crossbites, openbites, or both are seen in parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and cousins of large lower jaw patients. Inheritance is strong. In a recent study, the heritability of mandibular prognathism (large lower jaw) was estimated to be 0.316 and autosomal dominant, suggesting a major gene influences large lower jaw growth.

Large lower jaws are present as early as age 7. This is why when your orthodontist sees an underbite or openbite with a large lower jaw, they will do an in-depth analysis of jaw growth as well as take a careful family history for large lower jaw, called Class III skeletal malocclusion.

Genetically programmed large lower jaw growth cannot be prevented. Maxillofacial surgeons have been doing large lower jaw surgery for decades and often do several hundred per year. This surgery may be done at age 16 in females and age 21 in males. Your orthodontist can take a hand-wrist film to look at radius bone growth completion to determine the best time for orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery).

This case was treated by board certified orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, CA. Find us at www.clubbraces.com or call us at (925) 757-9000 to schedule a complimentary jaw assessment.

Find out if you have the royal jaw. If you would like a commoner smaller lower jaw, we're here to help.

Top image from Wikipedia used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.