Sometimes your teeth don’t grow the way you think they should. A common problem is that they come at odd angles or get a little too intimate with each other. Having crooked teeth is called crooked teeth, and it can cause serious cosmetic and health problems. If you are worried about how this might affect you, the most qualified specialist you can turn to is an orthodontist.
What is Crowding of the Teeth?
Crowded teeth is when you have overlapping or misaligned teeth. You may have heard your orthodontist call this a malocclusion. This overcrowding is characterized by not enough space for your teeth to fit in your jaw and can be caused by your teeth turning or displacing.
Types of Crowded Teeth
Lower tooth crowding is very common. Most people will have a few crooked teeth in their lower row, and the causes can vary. Often misaligned teeth are genetically linked and can be passed on from generation to generation, but accidents, injuries or habits such as thumb sucking can also move teeth.
Moderate crowding may occur in the upper and lower jaws, and your teeth need to be corrected to grow in a healthy position relative to your jawbone. Crowded dental solutions may include a palate expander, which can limit the need for braces. Expanders are visible from the outside and can take about nine to 12 months to cure. This can be treated while the primary teeth are still present and helps alleviate adult tooth crowding. Extracting teeth is also an option, but this is a last resort and your orthodontist will let you know if needed.
Anterior crooked teeth occur when your incisors (the middle four upper and lower teeth) are not in place. Because your incisors make up so much of your smile, patients often say that increasing their confidence in their appearance is an important reason for correction. But even if it’s not a cosmetic issue, realigning your incisors provides easier dental hygiene and therefore better oral health.
How Is Dental Crowding Measured?
If you have slightly crooked teeth that need monitoring or are undergoing treatment, orthodontists have several ways to measure crowding. A simple option is to make a visual estimation with a clear ruler, but orthodontists can also make good use of years of specialized training with either computer modeling with a reflex microscope or precision instruments. You can be sure that accuracy is guaranteed.
Causes of Tooth Crowding
There are many causes of tooth crowding. Usually, it’s just a growing problem, but others include:
.Cleft lip or palate
.Finger sucking after the age of three
.Poor dental care
.Allergies and asthma
.Tongue thrust (pushing your tongue against your teeth)
.Airway obstruction such as mouth breathing
.A misaligned chin
.Accidents and prematurely lost teeth
Can Crowding of the Teeth Cause Pain?
Tooth crowding can be quite uncomfortable indeed. Most pain is caused by the teeth pressing against each other or your jaw not opening at an awkward or uncomfortable angle.
It is not uncommon for patients to experience pain in more than one area, even when the malocclusion is isolated to a few teeth. Some people start noticing that all of their teeth suddenly ache without realizing that it may be due to a small cluster of crowding. You will feel more pain as your teeth move away from their intended position, so it’s best to contact an orthodontist as soon as possible about the way to relieve the pain.
Crowded Tooth Treatment Options
Fortunately, if you have crowding, you have a number of tried-and-true treatments options. And not all of them require braces.
Clear aligner treatments like Invisalign are a great braces alternative. There are also instances where orthodontists can correct your crowding with a permanent or removable aligner.
Veneers and crowns offer cosmetic changes for those with minor malocclusions or those who do not require further treatment. They don’t actually realign your teeth, but instead involve masking crooked teeth with a composite white filling material or removing part of the tooth to fit a porcelain veneer or veneer to cover the crooked parts.
Another method of tooth correction is lingual brackets, which are attached to the inner surface of your teeth and produced specifically for your mouth to provide maximum comfort. They may be one of the more expensive options, but they are the most invisible method of tooth straightening available.
Of course, there is a treatment method that is unrivaled in its effectiveness and success rate: traditional metal or clear braces. Braces may be the best option for mild to extreme cases, but the best way to find out what works best for you with such a variety of treatments is to consult your orthodontist.
