2012 Joint AAO-AAPD Conference - Managing the Anterior Crossbite in the Growing Child

With the eruption of the primary incisors during the first year of life, the anterior crossbite may be one of the first types of malocclusion to present itself. But do these anterior crossbites persist long term? May some self correct as further teeth erupt and the growth of the jaws matures? At what point is treatment indicated and what type of treatment is most successful? This lecture will discuss the diagnosis of anterior crossbites with attention to the underlying structured etiology. Is it dental or skeletal, maxillary or mandibular? Is there a genetic component? What treatment modalities are available? Does treatment provide a lasting effect? What are the long-term outcomes of current treatment modalities? This lecture will attempt to address these questions by reviewing current scientific evidence. Treatment strategies will be demonstrated with case studies.

Learning Objectives:

• What distinguishes a crossbite that self corrects from one that persists?
• What are the effects of facemask therapy in young children and whether orthopedic correction is better achieved in the primary, mixed, or early permanent dentition?
• Does palatal expansion significantly contribute to maxillary protraction?
• What happens following early crossbite correction?