A form of irregular alignment (malocclusion) that involves the way the teeth meet when a person bites down. Some of the upper teeth tend to close inside or outside the lower teeth. A crossbite may sometimes be referred to as a deep bite. As with all bite irregularities, the problem may be cosmetic and may also involve problems with increased tooth decay because the teeth are harder to clean. In some cases, a crossbite may result in problems with the other teeth, which do not meet properly. Jaw problems and pain in the jaw sometimes occur. A crossbite may be due to heredity, to improper jaw growth, to habits such as sucking on the fingers and lips, or to tongue thrust, when a person unknowingly thrusts his or her tongue forward and puts pressure on the teeth. A dentist specializing in orthodontics can correct a person’s crossbite with dental braces.
A form of dental malocclusion in which the cusps of one tooth, e.g., arising from the maxilla, close within the cusps of the tooth arising in the mandible (or vice versa).
There is a condition wherein the upper teeth overlap and bite on the inside of the lower teeth.
A particular form of dental misalignment, characterized by an anomalous alignment between the upper and lower teeth, manifests as an overlap of the lower front teeth upon the upper front teeth. Additionally, a crossbite involving the back teeth, known as a molar crossbite, may also manifest, with the upper and lower molars overlapping each other.