Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is a Crossbite?SymptomsCausesTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is a Crossbite?
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Lingual crossbite, commonly known as crossbite, is a term used to describe a misalignment of the teeth, ormalocclusion. Specifically, a crossbite occurs when your upper teeth fit inside your lower teeth. This misalignment can affect overalldental hygiene, and lead to issues like pain or problems chewing food.
This article provides an overview of crossbites, as well as common causes and treatments.
When the teeth are aligned correctly, the upper teeth will fit slightly over the lower teeth. In a crossbite, the opposite occurs: Some upper teeth are positioned inside the lower teeth.
Each person’s individual crossbite is unique. A crossbite can affect a single tooth or a group of teeth, and one or both sides of the jaw.
Posterior Crossbite
Posterior crossbites affect the back teeth. In this type of crossbite, the upper back teeth will sit inside of the lower back teeth when you bite down. They can be unilateral (affecting teeth on either the right or left side of the jaw) or bilateral (affecting both sides equally).
Anterior Crossbite
An anterior crossbite affects the front teeth. In this case, the lower front teeth are positioned to stick out past the upper front teeth. This is commonly known as an “underbite.”
Anterior crossbites are considered to be the most common type of crossbite.
Crossbite RecapIf your upper teeth fit inside your lower teeth when you bite down, you probably have a crossbite. Crossbites can:Happen at the front of the mouth (anterior) or the back of the mouth (posterior)Affect one side or both sides of the jawInvolve a single tooth or a group of teeth
Crossbite Recap
If your upper teeth fit inside your lower teeth when you bite down, you probably have a crossbite. Crossbites can:Happen at the front of the mouth (anterior) or the back of the mouth (posterior)Affect one side or both sides of the jawInvolve a single tooth or a group of teeth
If your upper teeth fit inside your lower teeth when you bite down, you probably have a crossbite. Crossbites can:
Signs and Symptoms of Crossbite in Adults
In some cases, a person may not have any symptoms. Yet in addition to the appearance of tooth misalignment, other physical symptoms of a crossbite can occur. They include:
Anterior crossbite can result in severe recession of the lower front teeth. This is one of the main reasons to treat crossbites in younger children who have a mix of temporary and permanent teeth. This is typically between the ages of 6 and 11.
What Causes a Crossbite?
Behaviors that contribute to crossbites can include:
An accident or injury can cause jaw trauma. Crossbite can also be the result of a combination of these factors.
Genetics
For example, underlying genetic causes of a crossbite could include:
Environmental Factors
Common environmental factors may include:
Causes RecapCrossbites can be the result of genetics (passed down from a parent) or environmental factors, like an injury or thumb-sucking in childhood.
Causes Recap
Crossbites can be the result of genetics (passed down from a parent) or environmental factors, like an injury or thumb-sucking in childhood.
Making a Plan to Treat Crossbite
How Is Crossbite Treated?
The goal of crossbite treatment is to correct the positioning of the teeth. Different options include:
Verywell / Laura Porter
Other possible treatments include:
Cost of Crossbite Treatment
The cost of correcting a crossbite will depend on the treatment option you choose, where you seek treatment, and whetherdental insuranceis accessible to you.
As an example, orthodontic treatments like braces can cost on average around $5,000. Clear aligners, on the other hand, could range from $2,000 to $9,000.
While most dental insurance plans will cover at least some of the cost of orthodontia treatments, patients usually pay for a solid portion of the treatment, too. It’s helpful to know that many orthodontic offices offer payment plans to help break up the costs and can work with patients to make the investment manageable.
Financial Help With Dental TreatmentIf you’re in need of dental or orthodontic care and do not currently have insurance, know that help is available. In many communities, there are places where you can obtainfree or low-cost dental services.
Financial Help With Dental Treatment
If you’re in need of dental or orthodontic care and do not currently have insurance, know that help is available. In many communities, there are places where you can obtainfree or low-cost dental services.
Summary
A crossbite is a misalignment of one or more teeth, in any part of the mouth, resulting in the upper teeth fitting inside the lower teeth. Crossbites can be painful, affect your ability to chew, and cause extra wear and tear on the teeth. Causes include genetics or childhood behaviors like thumb-sucking. Depending on the type and severity of the crossbite, common treatment options include braces, aligners, palate expanders, headgear, and, in severe cases, surgery.
A Word From Verywell
Crossbites are common and treatable at a younger age. It’s best to seek treatment as soon as possible and accessible to you, so the misalignment and symptoms don’t worsen. Fortunately, there are a number of different options for aligning your bite. If you need help locating an orthodontist in your area, theAmerican Association of Orthodontists' locator toolis a good place to start.
An untreated crossbite can cause issues with overall dental health and hygiene. It can also lead to the jaw shifting to one side and the wearing down of the tooth’s outer layer (enamel).
Experts estimate that crossbites are pretty common, as are orthodontic treatments like braces and clear aligners.So if you’re seeking care for a crossbite, you’re not alone.
Not usually. A crossbite that’s present in childhood doesn’t usually correct itself without treatment, and untreated bite issues may get worse with time. This is why experts recommend seeking treatment as early as possible and accessible.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Association of Orthodontics.What is a crossbite?American Association of Orthodontists.What is a crossbite? press room article.Stanford Children’s Health.Malocclusion in children.Merck Manual Professional Version.Dental Anatomy and Development.Galán-González AF, Domínguez-Reyes A, Cabrera-Domínguez ME.Influence of bad oral habits upon the development of posterior crossbite in a preschool population.BMC Oral Health. 2023 Nov 25;23(1):923. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03572-0.Boston Children’s Hospital.Malocclusion.Grippaudo C, Paolantonio EG, Antonini G, Saulle R, La Torre G, Deli R.Association between oral habits, mouth breathing and malocclusion.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2016 Oct;36(5):386-394. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-770.MedlinePlus.Malocclusion of teeth.Hung M, Zakeri G, Su S, Mohajeri A.Profile of Orthodontic Use across Demographics.Dent J (Basel). 2023 Dec 15;11(12):291. doi: 10.3390/dj11120291.American Association of Orthodontists.How much do braces cost? Financing options for orthodontic treatment.American Dental Association.2020 survey of dental fees.University of Michigan Health.Malocclusion and orthodontics.Zou J, Meng M, Law CS, Rao Y, Zhou X.Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion.Int J Oral Sci. 2018;10(1):7. doi:10.1038/s41368-018-0012-3Lombardo G, Vena F, Negri P, et al.Worldwide prevalence of malocclusion in the different stages of dentition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2020;21(2):115-122. doi:10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.02.05
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Association of Orthodontics.What is a crossbite?American Association of Orthodontists.What is a crossbite? press room article.Stanford Children’s Health.Malocclusion in children.Merck Manual Professional Version.Dental Anatomy and Development.Galán-González AF, Domínguez-Reyes A, Cabrera-Domínguez ME.Influence of bad oral habits upon the development of posterior crossbite in a preschool population.BMC Oral Health. 2023 Nov 25;23(1):923. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03572-0.Boston Children’s Hospital.Malocclusion.Grippaudo C, Paolantonio EG, Antonini G, Saulle R, La Torre G, Deli R.Association between oral habits, mouth breathing and malocclusion.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2016 Oct;36(5):386-394. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-770.MedlinePlus.Malocclusion of teeth.Hung M, Zakeri G, Su S, Mohajeri A.Profile of Orthodontic Use across Demographics.Dent J (Basel). 2023 Dec 15;11(12):291. doi: 10.3390/dj11120291.American Association of Orthodontists.How much do braces cost? Financing options for orthodontic treatment.American Dental Association.2020 survey of dental fees.University of Michigan Health.Malocclusion and orthodontics.Zou J, Meng M, Law CS, Rao Y, Zhou X.Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion.Int J Oral Sci. 2018;10(1):7. doi:10.1038/s41368-018-0012-3Lombardo G, Vena F, Negri P, et al.Worldwide prevalence of malocclusion in the different stages of dentition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2020;21(2):115-122. doi:10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.02.05
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Association of Orthodontics.What is a crossbite?American Association of Orthodontists.What is a crossbite? press room article.Stanford Children’s Health.Malocclusion in children.Merck Manual Professional Version.Dental Anatomy and Development.Galán-González AF, Domínguez-Reyes A, Cabrera-Domínguez ME.Influence of bad oral habits upon the development of posterior crossbite in a preschool population.BMC Oral Health. 2023 Nov 25;23(1):923. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03572-0.Boston Children’s Hospital.Malocclusion.Grippaudo C, Paolantonio EG, Antonini G, Saulle R, La Torre G, Deli R.Association between oral habits, mouth breathing and malocclusion.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2016 Oct;36(5):386-394. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-770.MedlinePlus.Malocclusion of teeth.Hung M, Zakeri G, Su S, Mohajeri A.Profile of Orthodontic Use across Demographics.Dent J (Basel). 2023 Dec 15;11(12):291. doi: 10.3390/dj11120291.American Association of Orthodontists.How much do braces cost? Financing options for orthodontic treatment.American Dental Association.2020 survey of dental fees.University of Michigan Health.Malocclusion and orthodontics.Zou J, Meng M, Law CS, Rao Y, Zhou X.Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion.Int J Oral Sci. 2018;10(1):7. doi:10.1038/s41368-018-0012-3Lombardo G, Vena F, Negri P, et al.Worldwide prevalence of malocclusion in the different stages of dentition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2020;21(2):115-122. doi:10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.02.05
American Association of Orthodontics.What is a crossbite?
American Association of Orthodontists.What is a crossbite? press room article.
Stanford Children’s Health.Malocclusion in children.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Dental Anatomy and Development.
Galán-González AF, Domínguez-Reyes A, Cabrera-Domínguez ME.Influence of bad oral habits upon the development of posterior crossbite in a preschool population.BMC Oral Health. 2023 Nov 25;23(1):923. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03572-0.
Boston Children’s Hospital.Malocclusion.
Grippaudo C, Paolantonio EG, Antonini G, Saulle R, La Torre G, Deli R.Association between oral habits, mouth breathing and malocclusion.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2016 Oct;36(5):386-394. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-770.
MedlinePlus.Malocclusion of teeth.
Hung M, Zakeri G, Su S, Mohajeri A.Profile of Orthodontic Use across Demographics.Dent J (Basel). 2023 Dec 15;11(12):291. doi: 10.3390/dj11120291.
American Association of Orthodontists.How much do braces cost? Financing options for orthodontic treatment.
American Dental Association.2020 survey of dental fees.
University of Michigan Health.Malocclusion and orthodontics.
Zou J, Meng M, Law CS, Rao Y, Zhou X.Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion.Int J Oral Sci. 2018;10(1):7. doi:10.1038/s41368-018-0012-3
Lombardo G, Vena F, Negri P, et al.Worldwide prevalence of malocclusion in the different stages of dentition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2020;21(2):115-122. doi:10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.02.05
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
