Key Takeaway:
Crooked teeth can be genetic. Even if one of your parents had it, you would likely have it too. Apart from that, it can occur due to poor oral hygiene, malnutrition, trauma, thumb sucking, etc.
Does it ever happen to you that you want to laugh out loud with your friends but have to control it because you have crooked teeth?
Misaligned teeth test your patience at different levels of your life, but what keeps you going is that it’s not the end of the world. But you know what? When you grow up, you realize the world is not as kind as you imagined it. Hence, you feel the need to get your crooked teeth fixed.
However, since you got us, there is no need to worry about anything. Here in this guide, you will learn what causes teeth to grow crooked, its symptoms, and possible fixes.
What Causes Crooked Teeth?
Crooked teeth are another common dental condition that affects every 9 in 10 people in the US. Both milk and permanent teeth can become crooked in the early developing stages of life.
Sometimes, when baby teeth don’t grow properly and fail to fill their allotted space, it appears crooked. Also, prolonged childhood habits like sucking the thumb or pacifier can result in crooked teeth.
Having crooked teeth doesn’t mean that you will have similar permanent teeth when you grow up. However, those with crowded teeth may develop permanent teeth in the crowded form.
Other issues causing your teeth to grow abnormally include:
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Genetics
As much as it is shocking, it is true. Genetics plays a big role in determining how your smile is going to look. In fact, it is one of the most common causes of crooked teeth.
Not just crooked teeth, but other dental issues like hyperdontia, overbites, underbites, and improper palate or tooth development can all be passed down from your parents. Luckily, they can be fixed with the help of modern dentistry.
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Jaw Size
New studies show that smaller jaw size can be another reason for crooked teeth development. The reason is that modern-day diets are mostly comprised of liquids; hence, we don’t require to chew a lot. This altered chewing behavior messes with your oral development, resulting in a smaller jaw.
Shorter jaws are responsible for crowded, crooked, or misaligned teeth.
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Poor Oral Hygiene
The Journal of Dental Research shows that almost half of the adults in the United States develop severe gum diseases like Gingivitis due to poor oral hygiene. When Gingivitis transforms into periodontitis, your teeth loosen, move or even fall out.
The dentist, therefore, recommends getting your oral checkup done twice a year or read this blog.
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Early Milk Tooth Loss
When a milk tooth falls out before time due to any injury or accident, it can cause the other teeth to shift to their space, resulting in misalignment. When crowding happens at that empty spot, the permanent tooth doesn’t get space to emerge properly.
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Malocclusion
Malocclusion typically refers to biting problems due to misaligned teeth. Ideally, your upper teeth should fit into the grooves of the lower teeth. However, when a person is suffering from Malocclusion, they either have overbite (forward-coming upper teeth farther than your lower teeth), underbite (forward-coming lower teeth farther than upper teeth), or crowding (overly crowded teeth).
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Myofunctional Habits
Poor myofunctional habits, such as sucking a pacifier or thumb for a prolonged period, can impact your teeth alignment. It can cause your teeth to shift or grow abnormally. Tongue thrusting and mouth breathing can also cause crooked teeth.
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Malnutrition
Getting sufficient nutrient, especially during the early stages of life, promote healthy teeth development. If you deprive your body of nutrients like calcium, fluoride, vitamin D, etc..
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Trauma
A facial injury or accident can knock, cause disorientation of teeth, and result in crooked teeth. Therefore, wearing a sports mouthguard while playing is recommended to avoid any injury.
Common Risks associated with Crooked Teeth
In some instances, crooked teeth can adversely affect your way of living. You may experience issues with chewing and biting due to misaligned teeth.
Other than that, some people may feel uncomfortable and conscious because of how their teeth look. Other issues related to crooked teeth include
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Chewing and Digestion
crooked or misaligned teeth make you unable to chew foods properly. Hence you feel digestive and other stomach-related problems.
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Periodontal Disease
Crooked teeth are difficult to clean due to their irregular position. This can lead to gum disease and other dental issues eventually. It is important to consult an orthodontist as soon as you experience tooth decay symptoms. Prolonged tooth decay or gum disease can lead to periodontitis, a far more serious infection.
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Wear and Tear
Crooked teeth can result in excessive wear and tear near the gums and jaw. Moreover, in some cases, people have reported experiencing bruxism and chronic headaches.
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Speech Difficulties
People with misaligned teeth face speech problems as it can impact how they articulate sound and deliver a speech.
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Low Confidence
Even studies have shown that people with misaligned teeth have lower self-confidence and are more likely to avoid large gatherings.
How to Fix Crooked Teeth?
While slightly crooked teeth cause no harm, those with extremely misaligned dental curves may require proper treatment.
In Japan, slightly crooked eye teeth or canine is considered a sign of beauty and attractiveness.
Whether it’s for aesthetic reasons or you have biting and chewing issues, here are the possible fixes for your crooked teeth.
- Metal braces
- Ceramic braces
- Invisible braces
- Lingual braces
- Teeth straightening surgery
Conclusion
Orthodontists don’t recommend getting braces or any other teeth straightening treatment unless it’s causing you pain or has the potential to cause serious gum diseases.
If you have crooked teeth schedule an appointment with your dentist, they will let you know which treatment is the most effective in your case or whether you should go for one or not.