Straightening Your Smile: Causes and Treatments for Crooked Teeth

Having a bright, straight smile can do wonders for self-confidence and physical appearance. However, those afflicted with crooked, overlapping, gapped, or misaligned teeth face more than just aesthetic challenges. Abnormal dental positioning also makes proper cleaning difficult, raising oral health risks. Thankfully, today’s advanced orthodontic treatments offer hope. Read on to learn what causes crooked teeth and how the experts at Smile Clinic London can help you straighten your smile.

Signs and Symptoms of Crooked Teeth

How do you know if you have crooked teeth necessitating treatment? Look for these common signs:

• Teeth Overlapping – Upper teeth heavily overlap lower teeth, or vice versa
• Crowding – Teeth twist or push together due to insufficient space
• Crossbite – Upper and lower teeth bend in opposite directions
• Underbite – Lower front teeth sit ahead of upper front teeth
• Overbite – Upper front teeth completely cover lower front teeth
• Gaps Between Teeth – Excess space between two or more teeth
• Asymmetrical Positioning – Teeth aligned at different heights or angles

See a dentist promptly if your teeth alignment makes chewing, biting, or brushing and flossing difficult. Let them evaluate if braces or other orthodontic treatments could help.

What Causes Crooked Teeth?

Several factors can spur misaligned teeth, including:

Genetics Heredity plays a significant role. Crooked teeth often run in families. Jaw structure and the size of teeth and mouths also have genetic influence over dental positioning.

Environmental Factors

Things like childhood injuries, excessive pacifier or thumb sucking, respiratory conditions causing chronic mouth breathing, and abnormal swallowing can shape jaw and tooth alignment. Missing teeth or early dental extractions sometimes also compress remaining teeth.

Developmental Conditions

Cleft lip and palate, cysts, disorders like Down syndrome which interfere with mouth formation, and other developmental conditions often manifest with crooked, crowded, or misplaced teeth.

No Matter the Cause, Modern Orthodontics Can Help

Thanks to technological advances, there are now more options than ever to straighten smiles, no matter your age or misalignment severity. The Smile Clinic London offers comprehensive orthodontic services tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Their cutting-edge treatments include:

Braces Both metal braces and clear aligners like Invisalign use gentle pressure to guide teeth into better positioning over time. Treatment lengths vary based on severity, but most patients wear braces 1-3 years. Clear aligner therapy is popular among teens and adults since aligners are nearly invisible.

Palatal Expanders

These devices fit inside the roof of the mouth to widen the upper jaw, creating room for crowded teeth and enabling proper alignment. Expanders are often used before braces to maximize correction potential.

Headgear Appliances Though seldom used today, some extreme overbite cases benefit from headgear, which uses external tension to shape growth. Modern low-profile options are small and only worn at night.

Retainers After braces, retainers keep teeth from shifting back. They come in removable and fixed wire variations worn as long as your orthodontist recommends.

In rare cases when alignment issues outpace conservative treatments, surgical options like enamel reshaping to adjust tooth contours or repositioning bone and gums orthodontically also exist.

Potential Health Complications

Beyond just appearance concerns, crooked teeth that are severely misaligned can cause various health issues including:

• Periodontal Disease – Crooked teeth with crowded, overlapping surfaces provide more areas for plaque to build up and bacterial infection in the gums to start. This progressive gum infection causes swelling, bleeding, and can destroy supporting bone.
• Tooth Decay – Misaligned teeth with lots of nooks and crannies also accumulate more plaque and enamel-eroding acid, raising tooth decay risks. Cavities and permanent tooth damage can result.
• Chewing, Speaking, and TMJ Problems – Our bite alignment directly impacts how we chew, swallow, and speak. Significant misalignment can make these basic functions uncomfortable or even painful over time. Jaw pain, popping, clicking, and tense facial muscles often accompany overbites or underbites too.
• Sleep Apnea – When the jaw structure encourages the tongue to fall back into the airway during sleep, breathing impairment and snoring from sleep apnea occurs. Crooked teeth can exacerbate these issues.

Getting crooked teeth straightened doesn’t just boost your smile’s look. It also proactively protects against many negative health consequences related to poor dental positioning and bite mechanics.

When to Get Crooked Teeth Evaluated

Most dentists recommend children get their first orthodontic risk assessment between ages 7 and 10. This allows for early intervention if needed for the most effective, economical treatment down the road. However, as long as your teeth and gums remain healthy, orthodontic treatment can improve alignment at any age. Adults now represent 1 in 5 orthodontic patients in the UK today. If you struggle with crooked teeth, don’t assume you’ve “missed your chance” for straighter smile. Schedule an orthodontic evaluation and discuss options. The right timing depends on your specific teeth issues and treatment goals.

Caring for Teeth During and After Orthodontic Treatment

While devices like braces and retainers do the heavy lifting to straighten your smile, caring for your teeth properly during treatment is also critical for optimal outcomes. Be vigilant about brushing and flossing to prevent decay and gum disease in hard-to-reach spots impacted by braces. Avoid very hard, sticky, crunchy, or chewy foods that could damage braces. See your orthodontist promptly for loose bands, broken wires, or other appliance issues to keep your treatment on track. Once your braces come off or clear aligner treatment ends, keep wearing your prescribed retainer as directed. Consistently wearing your retainer ensures your straightened teeth become permanently set in proper alignment. Make oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings high priorities as well to preserve your newly aligned smile for life.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, it’s also best to address those gaps to maintain the alignment achieved through orthodontic treatment. Replacing missing teeth helps prevent shifting and supports proper bite function. You can check out dental implants in Chesapeake VA or search locally for options that restore both the look and function of your smile.

Caring Specialists Committed to Your Success

Undergoing intensive orthodontic treatment demands a competent, compassionate team on your side. The Smile Clinic London has decades of combined experience building winning smiles. Their skilled orthodontists, dentists, and support staff use cutting-edge technology and precise protocols to achieve the straightest, healthiest smiles possible. Customized financial plans make care affordable too.

If crooked teeth plague your self-confidence or oral health, don’t wait to seek solutions. Schedule an exam with the specialists at Smile Clinic London to discuss orthodontic treatment options to realign your grin. With innovative braces, Invisalign, and retainer solutions, you can overcome alignment challenges for good. Expect a thorough assessment of all factors causing your crooked teeth, expert treatment recommendations, and kind, skilled care throughout your transformation journey. In as little as a year, you can unlock the smile potential hiding behind your Crooked Teeth symptoms and Treatment with life-changing results.