An anterior (front) permanent tooth in crossbite should be corrected very early after the 1st molars (6 year molars) erupt. The picture shows an upper right front tooth on the inside of the lower teeth when the teeth come together. In this case the cross-bite in front is very hard for the jaw joint balance and will place periodontal stress on the other nearby teeth. Notice the gum recession on the lower front tooth where the upper tooth in cross-bite pushes the lower tooth out of the bone. The teeth will continue to crowd and space and the gum attachment get worse. It will never correct on its own and one should never wait until all the permanent teeth come in to correct it. Here Dr. Garvey is using a red ‘glow in the dark’ Schwartz retainer with a spring to move the front tooth out and an expansion screw to increase the width of the upper jaw. This will give more room for the permanent teeth and perhaps reduce the need for extractions later. It usually only takes a week to correct the cross-bite if worn all the time but it takes longer to correct the width of the upper jaw.
