Crooked front teeth are the most common reason that people receive braces. Being insecure about your smile can have a lasting impact on your confidence and well-being. Crooked front teeth can also negatively impact your oral health, causing issues with anything from eating to speaking.
To prevent issues and regain confidence, crooked front teeth must be realigned. Continue reading to learn how people get crooked front teeth, the issues they can cause, and how you can fix them.
Want to find out if you or your child needs braces? Visit Reese Orthodontics in Charleston, SC for leading orthodontic care.
Causes of Crooked Front Teeth
Crooked teeth can be caused by bad oral habits. They can also come in crooked due to natural predispositions or become crooked from an accident. Parents should take note of the causes of crooked teeth to prevent young children from developing oral health issues in the future.
Some natural causes of crooked teeth include:
- Small teeth can cause misalignment because the extra gum space gives them too much wiggle room as they come in. Notably, this can cause baby teeth to be crooked without necessarily indicating that the adult teeth will be misaligned as well.
- Jaw size can affect tooth alignment. Humans as a species have progressively lost jaw size due to having less need to tear and chew tough food. Our collectively shrinking jaw size may be a reason that more people have crooked teeth than ever before.
- Malocclusion, indicated by an upper or lower jaw that doesn’t line up properly, can cause teeth to become crooked due to poor chewing habits. This includes underbite, overbite, overjet, and crossbite, four of the most common types of malocclusions.
Crooked teeth can also be caused by accidents or habits, such as:
- Oral trauma can cause teeth to be crooked by disrupting their natural growth and repair cycle. For instance, a blow to the mouth that knocks out baby teeth can cause permanent teeth to come in too early and grow crooked. Tooth decay that causes early tooth loss, often resulting from poor nutrition, can cause the same issues.
- Thumb-sucking is a major culprit of crooked teeth. This includes pacifier and bottle use as well. These habits often coincide with tongue thrusting, mouth breathing, and other behaviors that can push and pull teeth over time and cause them to become crooked.
Why Crooked Teeth Need Treatment
Aside from a change in appearance, crooked teeth can cause oral health issues that eventually require treatment. These issues include:
- Eating problems resulting from difficulty chewing can lead to digestion issues.
- Malocclusions like overbite and overjet cause teeth to wear out more quickly. This can eventually result in jaw pain, cracked teeth, strained jaw muscles, or even headaches.
- Speech issues, particularly in early development, can be caused by crooked teeth.
- Oral diseases that commonly result from crooked teeth include gum disease and tooth decay. This is because crooked teeth are more difficult to brush and floss, increasing the risk of plaque buildup.
- Low confidence is a common but no less serious result of living with crooked teeth.
Treatment Options for Crooked Teeth
Those who have crooked teeth can choose between several treatment options to fix their issues.
The most common treatment is metal braces. Braces can reliably fix minor or major crooked teeth within one to two years, depending on your needs. They straighten front teeth by applying constant pressure to them through an archwire. This wire connects brackets that are cemented to the front of your teeth during your first appointment.
Braces may cause minor discomfort, but they are the most well-documented treatment for crooked front teeth. This includes metal appliances as well as new ceramic options.
Invisalign aligners are an alternative treatment option for crooked teeth. They cannot treat major alignment issues. However, for minor malocclusions, Invisalign can be an advantageous alternative.
Utilizing aligners made from clear, medical-grade plastic, an Invisalign treatment plan coerces your teeth into the shape of the mold over time. Your orthodontist will periodically replace the tray with a more well-fitting one until your treatment ends.
Invisalign is clear and therefore less visually distracting than braces. The aligners can also be removed to eat. However, Invisalign is often more expensive than metal braces and less frequently covered by insurance.
Finally, veneers can fix tooth gaps and spacing issues. These porcelain appliances are placed over your teeth to visually reshape them. While this cannot correct a major malocclusion, a minor spacing issue can be fixed with a well-placed dental veneer. They can often last decades when properly cared for.
Choose Reese Orthodontics
If you’re an adult who is considering braces, you need professional advice on your treatment and payment options. For orthodontic treatments in Charleston, SC, Reese Orthodontics offers the latest technology and treatment plans. Our advanced and comfortable orthodontic treatments can be customized to suit your needs. A consultation with Reese Orthodontics includes scans, a comprehensive exam, and a conversation with the orthodontist to discover which treatment options are right for you.
Schedule an appointment with us today to stay ahead of your oral health and receive the best possible treatment in your area.