Maybe one front tooth sits behind your lower teeth, or your back teeth don't quite meet the way they should when you chew. If you're wondering whether clear aligners can fix a crossbite without braces, the honest answer is "often, but it depends on the type." This guide explains the difference, what the research shows and how to work out your next step.

What Is a Crossbite?

In a healthy bite, your upper teeth sit slightly outside your lower teeth all the way around, a bit like a lid on a box. A crossbite is when that relationship is reversed for one or more teeth. The American Association of Orthodontists describes it as a common form of misalignment in which the upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth, or the upper back teeth bite completely outside the lower teeth.

Orthodontists usually group crossbites by where they happen:

• Anterior crossbite: one or more upper front teeth bite behind the lower front teeth.
• Posterior crossbite: upper back teeth bite inside the lower back teeth. It can affect one side of the mouth (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral).
• Buccal crossbite: one or more upper back teeth bite completely outside the lower back teeth.

A crossbite can involve a single tooth or a whole section of the arch, which is why treatment varies so much.

How common is it?

Crossbites are far from rare. A 2021 review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews reported that posterior crossbite affects around 4% and 17% of children and adolescents in Europe and America, respectively. When a crossbite isn't corrected in childhood, it can carry into adulthood.

What causes a crossbite?

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, crossbites can arise from genetics, delayed loss of baby teeth, abnormal eruption of adult teeth, or prolonged habits such as thumb sucking or atypical swallowing patterns. The National Library of Medicine adds that misaligned bites are most often hereditary and may be caused by a difference between the size of the upper and lower jaws, or between jaw and tooth size.

Dental vs. Skeletal Crossbite: The Difference That Decides Your Treatment

Two crossbites can look alike and need very different treatment. What matters is where the problem starts.

• Dental crossbite: the jaws are a reasonable match, but one or more teeth have erupted or drifted into the wrong position, or are tipped the wrong way. The fix is to move the teeth.
• Skeletal crossbite: the jaws themselves don't match, most often because the upper jaw is too narrow for the lower jaw. Moving teeth alone can't fully solve a jaw-size problem.

Many people have a mix of both, which is why a crossbite should be professionally assessed rather than self-diagnosed.

If your front teeth are the concern, our guides on whether clear aligners can fix an underbite and how aligners help with an overbite cover the neighboring bite problems in more detail.

Why a Crossbite Is Worth Fixing

A crossbite is more than a cosmetic quirk. The American Association of Orthodontists lists several risks of leaving one untreated:

• The jaw shifting to one side when you close your mouth
• Lopsided or asymmetric jaw growth in children
• Excessive or abnormal wear of tooth enamel
• In severe cases, a need for jaw surgery later on

The Cochrane review links posterior crossbite to tooth wear, abnormal jaw development, joint problems and an imbalanced facial appearance.

The National Library of Medicine adds that correcting a moderate or severe bite problem can make teeth easier to clean and lower the risk of decay and gum disease. For more, see our article on how clear aligners improve bite alignment and jaw health.

Can Clear Aligners Fix a Crossbite? What the Research Says

Clear aligners are a recognized option for crossbite correction. The American Association of Orthodontists names both braces and clear aligners as appliances used to reposition teeth in crossbite treatment, sometimes alongside a palatal expander that widens the upper jaw. Research shows where aligners do well and where they struggle.

Aligners can widen the dental arch in suitable adults

A 2023 prospective study in the journal Applied Sciences followed 46 adults aged 20 to 60 with unilateral, bilateral or single-tooth crossbites treated with clear aligners. The researchers found predictability of 79% for unilateral, 86% for bilateral and 90% for single-tooth crossbites at the premolar teeth. They concluded that this kind of expansion is highly predictable, but that the treatment plan should build in some overcorrection to reach the planned result.

Bigger corrections are less predictable

A 2025 study in Clinical Oral Investigations looked at 98 aligner patients and compared the arch widening that was planned with what was actually achieved. On average, the two differed by 0.92 mm, and 72.2% of measurements showed some degree of under-expansion. Widening was more reliable in the lower jaw and around the canine teeth. Cases with large planned expansions, or with a posterior crossbite at the start, were less predictable.

Aligners match braces for simple cases

A 2025 meta-analysis in The Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice pooled 21 randomized controlled trials with 970 participants. It found that clear aligners and fixed braces both worked well for simple cases treated without extractions. The authors rated the evidence quality as low and called for better studies on complex bite problems.

How Clear Aligners Correct a Crossbite

Each set of aligners is shaped slightly differently from the last, so your teeth shift in small steps. Our guide to how clear aligners move your teeth explains the science. For a crossbite, the plan typically relies on a few specific movements:

Moving a tooth past its opposing tooth

For a single tooth on the wrong side of the bite, the aligners guide it forward or outward until it clears the opposing tooth. Because the trays cover the biting surfaces, they keep the upper and lower teeth slightly apart while worn, which can give the tooth room to move without being blocked.

Widening the arch gradually

When several back teeth are involved, the plan may widen the upper arch a little at a time by moving or tipping the teeth outward. This is dental expansion: it changes the position of the teeth within the bone, not the width of the jawbone itself. That's the main reason aligners suit dental crossbites far better than skeletal ones.

Planning for refinements

Because widening movements tend to come in slightly under plan, some people need an extra set of aligners at the end to finish the job. These are called refinements, and they're a normal part of treatment. Consistent wear matters too, so follow the schedule in your own treatment instructions. Our guide to clear aligner refinements explains how they work.

When a Crossbite Needs More Than Aligners

Some crossbites are beyond what aligners can do alone, usually because the upper jaw, not just the teeth, is too narrow.

Children and teens

Crossbites are easiest to correct while the jaws are still growing. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check-up no later than age 7, partly so problems like crossbites can be caught early. The Cochrane review, which covered 31 studies and about 1,410 participants, found that fixed and removable expanders were both more effective than no treatment for correcting posterior crossbites in children aged 7 to 11.

Adults

Adults can have a crossbite treated, but the options change once growth is complete. The association notes that some adults may be candidates for expansion approaches, although the options differ from those for growing patients. For a severe skeletal crossbite, an orthodontist may recommend combining orthodontics with jaw surgery.

Signs you should see an orthodontist in person

• Your lower jaw slides to one side when you bite down.
• Several back teeth are in crossbite, on one side or both.
• Your chin or face looks noticeably off-center.
• You have jaw pain, clicking or difficulty chewing.
• The crossbite is in a child or teenager who is still growing.

None of these rule out treatment. They point to a bite that deserves a hands-on examination rather than a remote plan. Our comparison of clear aligners vs. braces can help you weigh the options once you know what you're dealing with.

Is At-Home Aligner Treatment Right for Your Crossbite?

At Smile Perfect, we'd rather give you a straight answer than an easy yes. Our aligners are designed for minor to moderate alignment issues such as spacing, crowding and rotated teeth. They can improve the appearance of some crossbites, particularly mild ones involving a single tooth or a small group of teeth, but complex cases may require traditional orthodontics.

Here's how to find out where you stand:

• Start with the free assessment. The candidacy assessment asks a few questions about your smile, your concerns and your dental history, and confirms you're 18 or older.
• See your plan before you commit. Treatment begins with impressions or a scan of your teeth, and you get a 3D preview of your projected smile. You can see each stage on our process page.
• Be upfront about your bite. Mention any jaw shifting, clicking or pain. The more your clinical team knows, the better they can judge whether aligners are suitable.

If your crossbite turns out to be skeletal or too complex for at-home aligners, the right next step is an in-person evaluation with an orthodontist.

You can browse before-and-after cases on our real results page and find current plan pricing in USD on the pricing page.

Crossbite and Clear Aligner FAQs