Almost everyone in the US can relate to having braces or retainers at some point in their lives. It seems almost impossible to have perfectly straight teeth without them, but it’s not necessarily bad genetics that we have to blame for this. There are many factors that can contribute to crooked teeth. Here are the Top 5.
THUMB SUCKING: Thumb sucking at a young age seems fairly harmless, but it is one of the leading causes of uneven, crooked, or crowded teeth in young children. Sucking a thumb for long periods of time can shift the teeth as they grow in making them uneven. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop your child from sucking their thumb. Substituting with a pacifier doesn’t remedy the situation as it creates the same type of motion as thumb sucking does.
FILLINGS/CROWNS: If your teeth have fillings or crowns that do not properly fit, it can cause your teeth to shift in an unwanted direction. Even if your dental work was done a long time ago, it could be a good idea to get checked out to see if you need to get anything redone. Fixing crooked teeth isn’t just important for your vanity. Crooked teeth have a higher chance of harboring bad bacteria because it makes more of the tooth harder to clean.
GINGIVITIS: Gum disease weakens your gums, which in turn makes your teeth lose their proper alignment (or fall out altogether). Keeping your gums healthy is very important to having straight teeth. Your teeth cannot be healthy or strong without a strong foundation.
MISMANAGED BABY TEETH: You may think that because your baby teeth fall out, it’s not a big deal if they’re not perfectly clean or healthy. However, baby teeth need to be strong as well because they hold the place for the adult teeth that will later come in. If there are too many cavities in your baby’s mouth, it can lead to overcrowding which will eventually make their permanent teeth crooked.
TRAUMA: Accidents and injuries to the teeth can have permanent effects especially if a tooth is lost or the jaw is severely impacted. If the injury is severe, you may need to get surgery to realign your teeth and get them to function normally.
Dr. Lorraine Burio of Candlewood Dental Care has been treating patients in the New Fairfield, CT area for over twenty-five years. If you have any questions call us at 203-7460-1200 or make an appointment here.