Crooked Teeth
CROOKED TEETH AND HOW TO STRAIGHTEN THEM
Crooked or misaligned teeth are very common conditions. A lot of kids and adults have them, and not all of them are bad. Some can be left without treatment if it doesn’t affect your eating or speaking.
Misaligned teeth are beautiful in their way — it is unique to you and adds more spice to your personality. It also makes your smile unique and personal. However, if yours is problematic in the sense that it affects your speech and eating, or cause other health problems, then you can go to a dentist for correction.
Also, if you are unhappy with yours, and you feel it’s affecting your appearance, you can also seek dental help and intervention. You can also visit our London dentist at Cosmetic Dentistry Clinic for more information and to choose a suitable treatment option.
CAUSES OF CROOKED TEETH
Baby teeth and permanent teeth can become crooked or come in crooked. The reason why baby teeth move into crooked position is that they are too small to fit the allocated space on their gum. Other factors can also cause crooked teeth in babies. An example includes prolonged sucking on a thumb or pacifier which can push out baby teeth or make it crooked.
Genetics and hereditary can also play a role. However, if your baby has crooked teeth now, it doesn’t mean he/she would have it in adulthood. If your baby teeth are crowded, the permanent teeth would also be crowded, but it can be treated.
Trauma to the mouth or tooth decay can make your baby teeth to fall out quicker than it would occur naturally. The permanent teeth that follow might grow out of the gums in a slanted position instead of a straight one.
Other factors that can affect both baby teeth and permanent teeth are:
Jaw size
Due to the nature of our modern foods which are mostly soft and processed, our jaw sizes are affected. This happens because the foods we eat require less chewing when compared to the ones eaten by our ancestors.
These changes have altered our jaw size by making it smaller. Most scientists believe that it is responsible for misaligned, crooked, and crowded teeth.
Poor Nutrition
Poor nutrition and nutritional deficiencies, especially in little children, can lead to dental problems. The problems that can result from these are tooth decay, gum disease, and poor dental development.
These are all precursors to crooked teeth.
Poor prolonged habit
Prolonged habits that affect the muscles, face or functions of the mouth can affect jaw size and the alignment of the teeth. Some of these habits are breathing through the mouth, thrusting out the tongue, prolonged use of bottles or pacifiers, thumb sucking, etc.
Facial injury
A trauma, a hit or an injury to the face can displace your teeth. This can lead to one or more crooked teeth in your mouth.
Misaligned jaw
This condition is also known as “Malocclusion”. It happens when the upper teeth fit slightly over your lower teeth, and the point of your upper molars fits into the grooves of your lower molars.Common misalignments of the jaws are underbite and overbite. In the case of an overbite, the upper front teeth would protrude further than the lower front teeth.
In the case of an underbite, the lower front teeth protrude farther than the upper front teeth. Poor prolonged habits cause malocclusion to occur.
Hereditary and genetics
Misaligned teeth can be inherited, especially if one or both of your parents have crooked, misalign, or crowded teeth. Overbite or underbite can also be inherited.
Poor dental care
Bad and unhealthy dental hygiene and not having your teeth checked by a dentist at least once a year can lead to oral problems. You can visit our dentist today to avoid the possibilities of having crooked teeth.
The dentist can see problems before they occur. These include gum disease, holes in the teeth (cavities), and other dental problems that can lead to crooked teeth and oral problems.
COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY CROOKED TEETH
Crooked teeth that disturb and interfere with your daily life such as eating and speaking should be treated promptly, or else it can reduce the quality of your life. For instance, misaligned teeth affect the ability of people to speak— some can’t even eat well. It causes pain whenever they eat foods.
Misaligned teeth can also affect a person’s self-confidence and lead to low self-esteem. This can make them avoid social events or even stop smiling.
Some of the health problems crooked teeth can cause are:
Low self-esteem: People can be unhappy with the state of their teeth; this will reduce their confidence and affect their social life.
Difficulty in speaking: Misaligned teeth can affect the pronunciation of certain words, and this will lead to speech problems.
Excess wear: Crooked teeth can trigger excess wear and tear on the jaw muscles, gums, and teeth. This can lead to jaw strain, cracked teeth, chronic headaches, and temporomandibular joint disorder.
Chewing and digestion: Crooked teeth can affect proper chewing of food, and this can lead to digestive problems.
Periodontal disease: Crooked and misaligned teeth are difficult to clean. This can lead to the accumulation of food particles between the teeth and trigger other problems.
Some of the problems caused are tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral problems like bad breath. If gum disease is not treated, periodontitis can occur. This is a severe oral infection that can damage your teeth and bones.
Reach out to our London Dentist at Cosmetic Dentistry Clinic for more information on care and treatment of your crooked teeth.
STRAIGHTENING YOUR TEETH
It is in your power to choose to straighten your teeth or not. Many people want to but are unable due to the lack of funds or dental health insurance. Others might be affected by health issues. If you are having low self-esteem because of your crooked teeth, then you should straighten them so that you can live a good and happy life.
However, you should remember that your teeth make you unique and memorable. Many celebrities and models are flaunting their not-so-perfect teeth. Be sure to book an appointment with us for a suitable treatment method.
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR STRAIGHTENING TEETH
If you’ve decided to straighten your teeth and you think it’s the right option for you, there are a lot of options to choose from. But you have to meet with a dentist and discuss this, and he will choose the one that suits your case best.
Braces are one of the most common methods used. They can be used on people of any age who have strong teeth and gums that can hold them. Braces are also good for children who have malleable and flexible bone tissues and gums. Treatment of crooked teeth can last for 2 to 3 years, and this depends on the type of braces you use and the type of correction you are making.
Surgery to straighten the teeth is another option, and it gives the desired result in less time. Below are some of the options you can choose from.
Metal Braces
Metal braces are fixed to the teeth. They are attached to your teeth using brackets, flexible wires, and bands. This is the most suitable option for complicated cases of misalignment. In some cases, headgear is required in addition to the fixed braces, and this is worn only at night. Metal braces have been available for so many years now, and they are of different types.
There are now new inventions with less metallic and smaller brackets. They also offer high comfort and have multi-coloured rubber bands that people can choose from to match your personality.
Ceramic Braces
They have archwires that connect them to the teeth. They are clear or have the same colour as the tooth. This makes them less noticeable when compared to the metal brackets. It has the same straightening process as the metal brackets, but it breaks easily and are prone to stains.
Invisible Braces
Examples of these are Invisalign. They are worn by teens and adults — they are made of clear plastics and custom-made to fit your mouth. They fit over your teeth like a mouthguard and they are changed and replaced two times a month.
This option is not suitable for complex cases of misalignment, and they take longer to straighten the teeth than traditional braces.
Lingual braces
This is similar to the metal braces, but it is placed at the side of the teeth that faces your tongue.
They are expensive and hard to clean, and they are not suitable for complex cases. People take time to get used to wearing them, and they take a longer time to work on.
Teeth straightening surgery
This is a surgical method of straightening your teeth; it gives the desired result in a less amount of time than braces. Minor surgery can be carried out to reposition the bones and gums that help to hold your teeth in place. Major surgery can also be carried out to realign your jaw.
This type is called orthognathic surgery, and it is recommended for those whose misalignment have affected their speech and eating.
What to Expect When You See a Dentist
Your dentist might advise you to see an orthodontist. An orthodontist is a dentist that deals specifically with misalignment problems. The jaw, teeth, and mouth will be examined, and he/she will also assess your bite.
The orthodontist will ask more about your symptoms — an X-ray of your mouth would be taken, and a mould of your teeth will also be made.
For more information about a suitable treatment method, do reach out to us on 020 71830755 at the Cosmetic Dentistry Clinic. You should also book an appointment with our orthodontist today to straighten that crooked teeth.