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Quick answer: can clear aligners fix a crossbite or open bite?
Clear aligners can correct many mild to moderate crossbites and open bites where the problem is caused by the position of the teeth. They cannot change the size or position of the jaw bones themselves. If your bite problem is skeletal rather than dental, a dentist or orthodontist may recommend fixed braces, an expander, temporary anchorage devices or, in more severe cases, jaw surgery.
Most people notice a crossbite or an open bite long before they know what it is called. You bite down and your front teeth never touch. Or one side of your smile tucks behind the lower teeth and that tooth has started to chip. Either way, the question is the same: can this be sorted with clear aligners, or do you need something more?
This guide explains what crossbites and open bites actually are, what causes them, when clear aligners are a realistic option, and the point at which a different treatment becomes the safer choice. It sits alongside our guides to correcting an overbite, fixing an underbite, treating crowded teeth and closing gaps.
What is a crossbite?
A crossbite happens when one or more upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth when you bite together. In a normal bite, the upper teeth sit slightly outside the lower ones all the way around the arch. In a crossbite, that relationship is reversed in at least one place.
Anterior crossbite
One or more upper front teeth bite behind the lower front teeth. A single tooth in crossbite is often a dental problem and frequently responds well to aligners. When all the upper front teeth sit behind the lower ones, it may instead be an underbite driven by jaw position.
Posterior crossbite
One or more upper back teeth bite inside the lower back teeth. It can affect one side (unilateral) or both (bilateral), and it is often linked to a narrow upper arch.
What causes a crossbite?
- A narrow upper jaw or arch, often present since childhood.
- Crowding, which pushes individual teeth out of the arch line.
- Baby teeth that were lost too early or retained too long.
- Prolonged thumb sucking, dummy use or mouth breathing during growth.
- A difference in the relative size or position of the upper and lower jaws.
A useful clue: if your jaw slides sideways as you close and the two halves of your smile look uneven only when your teeth meet, you may have a functional shift. This is worth flagging at your assessment, because it changes the treatment plan.
What is an open bite?
An open bite means some teeth do not touch at all when you close your back teeth together. The most common form is an anterior open bite, where a visible gap remains between the upper and lower front teeth even when you bite down. A posterior open bite, where back teeth fail to meet, is less common.
What causes an open bite?
- Habits during childhood. Prolonged thumb sucking or dummy use can stop the front teeth meeting as the jaws grow.
- Tongue thrust or low tongue posture. If the tongue pushes forwards between the teeth when swallowing or at rest, it applies constant light pressure that holds the bite open.
- Mouth breathing. Long-term nasal obstruction can influence tongue posture and facial growth.
- Skeletal growth pattern. Some people have a jaw relationship that naturally leaves the front teeth apart. This is the hardest type to treat with teeth movement alone.
- Joint changes. Certain temporomandibular joint conditions can alter how the jaws meet over time.
Because habit and posture play such a large role, an open bite is one of the few bite problems where correcting the teeth alone may not be enough. If the cause is still active, the bite can reopen after treatment.
Why crossbites and open bites matter beyond appearance
Both conditions are commonly treated for cosmetic reasons, but the functional consequences are the stronger argument for doing something about them.
| Crossbite | Open bite | |
|---|---|---|
| What you notice | Upper teeth tucked inside lower teeth; uneven smile line; jaw shifts to one side when closing | A visible gap between front teeth when biting down; difficulty biting into food |
| Common causes | Narrow upper arch, crowding, childhood habits, jaw size differences | Thumb sucking, tongue thrust, mouth breathing, skeletal growth pattern |
| Possible effects | Uneven enamel wear, chipping, gum recession on affected teeth, chewing on one side, jaw muscle strain | Overloading of back teeth, accelerated wear, speech differences with "s" and "th" sounds, tearing food with back teeth |
| Typical aligner suitability | Good for single-tooth and mild to moderate dental crossbites | Good for mild to moderate dental open bites, especially where habits are controlled |
| When to expect a referral | Significant skeletal narrowness or asymmetry in an adult | Large skeletal open bite, or an active tongue thrust that has not been addressed |
Can clear aligners fix a crossbite?
Often, yes, when the crossbite is dental in origin. Clear aligners work by applying planned, incremental pressure that tips, rotates and repositions individual teeth. That is exactly what a dental crossbite needs.
What aligners can do
- Move a single tooth in crossbite back out into correct alignment.
- Widen an arch through controlled tipping of the back teeth, which is often enough for a mild posterior crossbite.
- Correct crossbites caused by crowding, by creating space first. This is where interproximal reduction (IPR) may be planned.
- Improve how the teeth meet on both sides, which is why bite corrections almost always need both arches treating rather than one.
What makes the plan more complex
Bite corrections need grip. To move a tooth out of crossbite, the aligner has to hold and push in a specific direction, and smooth plastic on a smooth tooth is not always enough. Your plan may therefore include aligner attachments, small tooth-coloured shapes bonded to certain teeth, and sometimes small buttons with elastics that pull one arch against the other.
The important distinction is not how bad the crossbite looks. It is whether the teeth are in the wrong place, or the jaw is.
Where aligners reach their limit
In children, a narrow upper jaw can be widened with an expander because the palate is still developing. In adults, the palate has fused, so genuine skeletal widening usually requires a surgically assisted procedure rather than aligners. If your posterior crossbite comes from a truly narrow upper jaw rather than tilted teeth, expect a referral for specialist assessment.
Find out whether your bite can be treated with aligners
Start with a free e-consultation. If clear aligners look suitable, you will be booked in for an in-person dental check and a 3D scan at a local partner clinic before any plan is made.
Book Your Free E-Consultation →Can clear aligners fix an open bite?
Clear aligners can be a strong option for mild to moderate dental open bites, and for a reason that is specific to how they work. Because the trays cover the biting surfaces of the back teeth, they act as a thin bite block. Combined with a plan that gently brings the front teeth together, this can close a modest open bite without brackets and wires.
How the correction is usually planned
- The clinician measures how large the open bite is and identifies whether it is dental or skeletal.
- Attachments are placed on selected teeth so the aligners can apply the required vertical movement.
- Front teeth are brought into contact in small planned stages, sometimes assisted by elastics.
- Any habit contributing to the open bite is addressed alongside treatment, not after it.
- Retention is planned from the start, because open bites are among the more relapse-prone corrections.
The habit question you cannot skip
If a tongue thrust or persistent mouth breathing caused the open bite, that pressure will still be there when your last aligner comes out. Treatment plans for open bite often include myofunctional exercises or referral for assessment of the airway. Ignoring this is the single most common reason an open bite reopens after successful treatment.
Worth knowing: a very large open bite in an adult with a long-face growth pattern is generally a skeletal problem. Aligners may improve the appearance of the front teeth, but a full functional correction may need temporary anchorage devices or orthognathic surgery planned by a specialist.
When clear aligners are not the right answer
An honest assessment is more valuable than an optimistic one. Clear aligners may not be recommended if:
- The crossbite or open bite is clearly skeletal, involving jaw size, position or asymmetry.
- The correction requires substantial bodily movement of teeth through bone, or extractions.
- There is untreated decay, active gum disease or an unstable dental foundation. These must be resolved first.
- You are unlikely to manage 20 to 22 hours of daily wear. Bite corrections are particularly sensitive to inconsistent wear.
- Jaw joint symptoms need investigating before tooth movement begins. Our guide to TMJ and clear aligners covers this in more detail.
Complexity is not automatically a no. Many cases sit in the middle, and our guide to mild, moderate and complex cases explains how that judgement is made.
How suitability is assessed in the UK
Bite problems cannot be diagnosed from photographs alone. A photo shows the teeth; it does not show how the jaws meet, whether the jaw shifts on closing, or what is happening below the gum line. This is why the pathway includes an in-person stage.
- Free e-consultation. You submit photos online and a dental team gives an initial view on whether treatment is likely to be possible. See what happens during a free e-consultation.
- In-person dental check and 3D scan. At a local partner clinic, a dentist examines your teeth, gums and bite and captures a 3D digital scan. Radiographs may be taken where clinically indicated.
- Digital treatment plan and smile preview. You see the planned movements and the expected result before committing.
- Dentist-led monitoring. Progress is reviewed as you move through your trays, which matters more in bite cases than in simple alignment cases.
If the assessment shows aligners are not appropriate for your bite, you should be told so and pointed towards the right treatment. That is the point of a dentist-led pathway rather than a purely remote one, and you can read more about how Smileie treatment works.
Treatment time and protecting the result
Bite corrections generally take longer than straightforward alignment, because the teeth are moving in more than one direction and the two arches have to finish in the right relationship. Mild cases may complete in a few months, while moderate crossbites and open bites often run longer. Our guide to how long clear aligner treatment takes sets out the ranges.
Because both arches are usually involved, bite cases are typically treated as dual arch rather than single arch. Current treatment options and finance information are listed on the Smileie UK pricing page.
Retention is part of the treatment, not an afterthought
Teeth have a tendency to drift back towards their original positions, and corrections that changed the bite are more prone to this than simple straightening. Retainers hold the result while the surrounding bone and soft tissue settle. Read what happens after clear aligner treatment ends for what this involves day to day.
FAQs
Can a crossbite be fixed without braces?
In many cases, yes. Mild to moderate crossbites caused by the position of the teeth can often be treated with clear aligners, particularly when a single tooth or a small group of teeth is involved. Crossbites caused by the size or position of the jaw itself usually need a different approach, which a dentist or orthodontist will explain after an in-person assessment.
Can you fix an open bite without surgery?
Mild to moderate dental open bites can often be closed without surgery using clear aligners or fixed braces, especially when any contributing habit is addressed at the same time. Large open bites linked to jaw growth patterns may require temporary anchorage devices or orthognathic surgery. Only a clinical assessment can tell you which category you fall into.
Will a crossbite get worse if I leave it?
A crossbite does not always worsen, but the consequences can accumulate. Teeth in crossbite may wear unevenly, chip, or develop gum recession over time, and a jaw that shifts on closing can place uneven load on the muscles and joints. If you are unsure, it is worth having it looked at rather than waiting for symptoms.
How do I know whether my bite problem is dental or skeletal?
You generally cannot tell from looking. Clinicians assess this using an in-person examination of how your jaws meet, a 3D scan and, where indicated, radiographs. A useful rough guide is that problems affecting one or two teeth are more likely to be dental, while problems affecting the whole arch or facial proportions are more likely to involve the jaws.
Do I need elastics or attachments to correct a bite with aligners?
Often, yes. Bite corrections need more grip and directional control than simple straightening, so plans frequently include tooth-coloured attachments and sometimes small buttons with elastics. Your treating clinician will confirm what your specific plan requires before treatment begins.
Is crossbite or open bite treatment available on the NHS?
NHS orthodontic treatment is available to eligible patients under 18 based on clinical need, and is usually delivered with fixed braces. Adults rarely qualify unless there is a clear health need. Availability, waiting times and eligibility vary by area, so ask your dentist about an NHS referral and compare it with private options if appropriate.
Will my bite relapse after treatment?
Some movement back towards the original position is natural, which is why retainers are prescribed. Open bites in particular can reopen if the original cause, such as a tongue thrust, has not been addressed. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed is the most reliable way to protect the result.
Get a clear answer about your bite
A free e-consultation takes a few minutes. If clear aligners suit your case, you will be guided to a local 3D scan and shown your digital treatment plan before you commit to anything.
Book Your Free E-Consultation →Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or dental advice. Clear aligners are not suitable for every patient or every bite problem, and crossbites and open bites vary widely in cause and severity. Suitability must be confirmed by a qualified dental professional following an appropriate clinical assessment. Treatment details, package inclusions, prices, finance and promotions may change; check the relevant Smileie UK pages for current information.
