Crooked Teeth: Causes, Concerns and Treatment
When teeth erupt in the wrong position, it can cause more than just a crooked smile. Malpositioned teeth can be difficult to clean, contributing to periodontal disease. They can also result in a bite that is imbalanced, leading to occlusal disease, jaw pain, headaches, and many other symptoms.
Dr. Forgosh and his team at Green Hills Family & Cosmetic Dentistry offer cosmetic services that address occlusal disease and realign teeth. Whether the issue is simply cosmetic or a dysfunctional dentition, Dr. Forgosh can identify the cause and find the most appropriate solution.
What Causes Crooked Teeth?
Teeth erupt into a specific position for a reason. Root growth and development cause teeth to erupt until something stops them. Usually, that “something” is the tooth it contacts in the other jaw. Likewise, teeth move into a position where there are equal forces from your tongue pushing out and your lips and cheeks pulling in. This is known as the “neutral zone.” However, there are a number of factors that can interfere with the ideal tooth position.
- Teeth Development: The position of permanent teeth is affected by the health of baby teeth. When a patient loses baby teeth prematurely due to trauma or decay, the permanent teeth underneath can become crowded.
- Jaw or Mouth Trauma: An injury of the mouth or jaw can result in lost teeth or a change in jaw alignment. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding teeth drift into the open space.
- Behaviors: Thumb or pacifier sucking in a child’s early years often results in the development of crooked teeth.
- Breathing Disorders: Mouth breathing brings the tongue off the roof of your mouth, allowing the cheek muscles to move back teeth toward the palate. This leads to significant crowding and a host of dental problems.
- Early Childhood Diet and Swallowing: Breastfeeding trains infants to swallow properly, with the tongue in the roof of the mouth, shaping the dental arch form. Bottle feeding and early soft diets lead to an under developed, poorly trained tongue and imbalance in the neutral zone.
Crooked Teeth and Occlusal Disease
Occlusal disease develops when your teeth and jaw joints are misaligned. All your teeth should hit at precisely the same time with exactly the same intensity when you bite down. The joints should be seated fully in the socket, and the force of your bite should be directed along the long axis of your back teeth. When misalignment occurs, the teeth then improperly collide with one another, creating symptoms such as:
- Sensitivity
- Gum recession
- Worn or broken teeth
- Headaches
- Jaw pain and TMJ disorder
- Teeth clenching or grinding
Teeth Straightening Options
Green Hills Family & Cosmetic Dentistry provides the following cosmetic dentistry options for fixing crooked teeth:
- Veneers: When crooked teeth treatment simply involves improving appearance, veneers can cover the affected area to make teeth look straighter.
- Crowns: If crooked teeth result in the loss of a large part of a tooth, crowns replace the missing section, similar to the way that a filling fills in a cavity. Crowns also work as a method to fix a crooked tooth when a single tooth is the problem.
- Invisalign Clear Aligners: Clear aligners from Invisalign go over your teeth for a wire-free realignment process. The patient progresses through different-shaped aligners that add pressure to the teeth to reposition them.
The best treatment option depends on the nature of the misalignment and the patient’s preferences.
Green Hills Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Can Help
Crooked teeth can give you a lack of confidence and potentially cause long-term harm to your oral health. Fortunately, we can predictably straighten teeth and correct bad bites in our office or, if need be, refer you to one of the trusted specialists who work with us to help you achieve the smile you want. Schedule an appointment online!