What Are Crooked Teeth And How To Deal With Them?

What Are 'Crooked Teeth'?

When the jaws close, misalignment between the teeth of our two dental arches is mainly known as 'Malocclusion' or the problem of crooked teeth. 

Father of modern orthodontics 'Edward Angle' coined the term 'Malocclusion' where 'mal' means 'incorrect' and 'occlusion' means alignment.

CROOKED TEETH

Causes

There are various reasons for misaligned teeth. Some of these are discussed below:

●     Cranial imbalances can sometimes affect the development of jaw, skull and vertebral bones. Due to this, we might have smaller jaws. Having smaller jaws makes it difficult for even normal-sized teeth of adults to grow in proper alignment.

●     Formation of extra large teeth makes the jaw unable to bear the load. Due to this, there might be a shortage of space for those extra large teeth to fit into the jaw.

●     Less number of teeth in the jaw leaves gaps. Due to this, the other teeth present in the jaw might get pushed out of the alignment.

●     Some people might develop extra teeth in the jaw, which leads to the haphazard and crowded growth of teeth.

●     Some people might lose their baby teeth early because of which the permanent set of teeth might get misaligned and end up getting crooked.

●     The tongue is a strong and the most active muscle of our body. The repeated pressure of our tongue against our teeth can make our teeth look crooked.

●     Sucking of thumb, especially by kids puts pressure in our jaw. Due to this, our teeth can get misaligned which be the cause of malocclusion.

●     Use of dental tools such as braces, retainers, dental fillings can also cause malocclusion.

●     Fracture of jaw due to an injury can also be a reason of malocclusion.

●     Tumors, especially in the jaw can cause malocclusion.

●     Malocclusion is also a hereditary disorder; It is passed from one generation to another.

Symptoms

●     You have misaligned teeth in the lower and upper jaws.

●     You frequently bite the tongue or inner cheeks.

●     Difficulties while biting and chewing.

●     You have a problem with speech.

●     You breathe with the mouth instead of the nose.

●     The issue of bad breath.

●     You have swelling and bleeding of gums.

●     You have loose teeth.

Prevention

●     Adapting healthy dental hygiene from the very young age can help us to get rid of the problem of misaligned teeth. Poor hygiene affects our gum which can cause periodontal disease and tooth decay. So, proper brushing habit should be developed from the very young age.

●     Avoiding unwanted pressure on our gums by getting rid of the habit like thumb sucking can help us to prevent the problem of misaligned teeth.

●     Early tooth loss can be a problem. One should immediately consult a dentist in such cases. This can lead to malocclusion.

●     We should avoid sleeping on our stomach. Sleeping in such a way puts pressure on our mouth. Over time, this can be a cause of misaligned teeth. So we should avoid doing that.

●     We shouldn't ignore it if we have a missing tooth. Missing tooth creates a gap for the unnecessary movement of the other teeth present in the jaw which can produce the problem of malocclusion.

●     We should avoid the habit of biting pen, using toothpicks excessively and the practice of biting our fingernails. Such methods put pressure in our jaws which can create the problem of misaligned teeth.

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Cures

●     Use of braces or Invisalign is the most widely accepted treatment for misaligned teeth. An expert orthodontist should do it.

BRACES

●     Use of headgear braces can be helpful to treat the problem of misaligned teeth.

●     Use of upper jaw expander can be beneficial to widen the jaw and correct the misalignment.

●     Cosmetic dentistry can help us to treat the problem of misaligned teeth. It makes the teeth of our lower jaw to rest behind the upper jaw when we close our mouth.

●     Orthognathic jaw surgery can be taken in severe cases of malocclusion. A surgeon uses screws, wires, and plates to fix the problem.

Misaligned teeth can be embarrassing, especially when a person with the problem smiles. We should take necessary precautions whenever we notice such type of the issues.

Dr. Jaskaren Randhawa, a Manhattan Cosmetic Dentist, insists that we should seek treatment for misaligned teeth urgently to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand.