Do you or someone you know have misaligned teeth? Or do you know of someone who had misaligned teeth and had them realigned? Misaligned teeth are common in children, teenagers, and adults. However, some people live with them and don’t see any reason to have them aligned. They choose to embrace their crooked teeth as part of who they are.
In other cases, people feel unattractive, and their confidence is tampered with. If at all, the misaligned teeth are affecting your self-esteem, present a health problem, or even speech problems, have them corrected or realigned.
Several causes of crooked teeth range from genetics, facial injury to loss of baby teeth too early. Below are some of the causes of tooth misalignment (malocclusion)
Genetics
Genetics and the environment are believed to cause crooked teeth. It’s not a wonder if you find one or two of your siblings have crooked teeth if you have the condition. However, issues to do with genes are beyond our control, but the environment is something we can change. You can consider changing your diet and lifestyle.
Thumb-Sucking
What comes to mind when you see your child sucking a thumb? It may seem normal, but it can have a long-term effect on your child’s teeth alignment. When a child is thumb-sucking, repetitive pressure is impacted on the jaws and the growing teeth. This may cause uneven bites. It may be for life unless it is corrected by a Denver orthodontist.
Jaw Development
Studies show that our ancestors had close to perfect teeth alignment in the ancient days. You may want to ask why crooked teeth have become the norm in the modern world. The answer is simple. During the hunting and gathering days, people used to feed on tough foods and not soft ones, as we see in today’s society. Through the years, our jaws have continued to reduce in size. For perfectly aligned teeth, your jaw ought to accommodate all of the thirty-two teeth. If there is no room for this, people end up having crooked teeth.
Loss of Baby Teeth
If a baby loses their teeth early, the chances of having misaligned teeth in the future are a bit high. Most often, baby teeth come out for adult teeth to grow in. If a child loses early teeth before the adult teeth can grow, the adjacent tooth may outgrow its space and occupy that of the lost tooth. This will, in turn, lead to the tooth growing out of the jawline.
Facial Injury
Facial injuries from falls, assault, and mouth blows can cause jaw injuries. These injuries are likely to cause teeth displacement. It may require the intervention of an orthodontist who can realign them. An orthodontist may use dental braces to straighten your teeth.
Crooked teeth pose several challenges, such as lowering self-esteem. People who have crooked teeth may also have a hard time cleaning them. This may hinder them from practicing good oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene is a cause for teeth related problems and diseases. In case you are experiencing these challenges with your teeth, consider visiting an orthodontist to have them realigned.