Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth not just ruin your beautiful smile but put your teeth on the verge of critical oral issues especially when upper front teeth and lower front teeth do not line up properly. Predominantly, it is noticed in children and old aged adults. Crooked teeth interfere in the functioning of proper biting because of non-parallel upper and lower jawbones. Wisdom teeth’s odd angle growth makes teeth more crowded and unintentional night tooth grinding can make teeth misaligned. Such problems,  besides ruining smiles, also cause pain and discomfort while eating food. 

Malocclusion is divided into 3 major categories:

1. Class 1 Malocclusion – When upper teeth come out and become extremely noticeable than lower teeth, no overbite and underbite problem is seen in this type. Upper teeth cover lower teeth partly because of over thumb sucking and while drinking water from the bottle. 
2. Class 2 Malocclusion – This is overbite malocclusion. Upper teeth take over the area of lower teeth and come in at the abnormal angle. In baby teeth sucking pacifiers frequently can cause overbite. Buck teeth appearance is an example. 
3. Class 3 Malocclusion – This is underbite malocclusion. This is totally opposite of class 2, in this, lower teeth take over the area of upper teeth and come in at the abnormal angle. Chin portions stick out in this.

Treatment For The Crooked Teeth

To straighten crooked teeth, talk to an orthodontist and ask to help you in selecting the right alternative for you. Braces work best for crooked teeth and it fits everyone be it an old man or a school going child, but one should have gums and teeth which are capable of carrying the weight of braces. Nowadays, in the market, there is a number of options for braces, such as:

1. Ceramic braces – Shape and all overlook of ceramic braces is not different from the regular metal braces. It is very obvious that nobody wants attention because of the braces, considering this, dentists made it tiny and unnoticeable. They are more durable too. Also, you will be given a choice of colours for your arch. It doesn’t cause any damage to your tooth enamel. You will be amazed because these are super comfortable than metal ones. Cost – $2000-$9000

2. Metal Braces – These are very common and durable braces. If more than 3-4 teeth are uneven then this should be your first pick. For athletes, gymnasts and sports players metal braces are good because it never cracks. Old technology used to make big brackets but today’s advanced technology has made metal braces fancy. Different colours of bands are also available. Metal braces are less costly than any other type.Cost – $1500-$7000

3. Invisible braces – Among children, teens and young adults these braces and Invisalign are highly in demand. These are almost transparent so people can’t notice them just like transparent contact lenses. You don’t have to carry the weight of wires, brackets and rubbers. The material used to make invisible braces is smooth plastic. These do not have pointed/sharp outlines, so small children can easily wear them. Invisible braces are for a short time only for about 2-3 months and you will start noticing results. The next best thing is you can eat any type of food, even solid crunchy food, awesome right? Trays are also removable so that you can brush your teeth properly. After reading numerous benefits you would have guessed that these are a little expensive. Cost – $3000-$9500

Teeth Straightening Surgery

If braces are not your cup of coffee then surgery is. It’s a one-time treatment and you don’t have to carry it for hours, days, months and years. The surgery starts with local anaesthesia and rearrangement of bones and gums will be done to reshape the teeth. The name of this surgery is orthognathic and typically a group of doctors such as orthodontist, maxillofacial and oral surgeon will be there to help you. Surgery will re-correct the speaking, chewing problem and past injuries. The recovery period is 2 months.

Cost depends on the surgeon, your teeth and medical insurance but on an average, you can expect $7000 or more.

Symptoms

• Loss of baby teeth before time.
• Facial injury/accident
• Genetic susceptibility
• Tongue thrusting and thumb sucking
• Pushing teeth
• Repetitive use of pacifiers after the age of 2-3 
• Tumours in mouth
• Breathing through mouth because of nose block due to Phlegm. 
• Dental filling faults

Causes

Problems Caused By Crooked Teeth

1. Chewing and Digestion problems – Upper and lower teeth’s unevenness, do not give chance to chew properly and as a result, indigestion occurs and nutrients do not get absorbed thoroughly.
2. Periodontal Diseases – Brushing and flossing can be tricky and some areas do not get cleaned the way it should be causing gingivitis and plaque formation. These come with a multiplication of bacteria and cause tooth loss and bone problems.
3. Too much wear and tear – Continuous rubbing of teeth gives rise to abrasion. Later jaw muscles, gums, temporomandibular joint damages give rise to severe headaches.
4. Bad impact on personal value – Crooked teeth constantly poke in front of others, makes situations awkward and it forces you to think tons of time before smiling. As a result, people start becoming anti-social. But Japanese people think crooked canines are attractive so don’t bother much about it. 
5. Tooth injuries – Malocclusion of the teeth also makes it brittle and even small injury gives more complications.
6. Speech trouble – While speaking long sentences or words, it makes it unclear, husky and inaudible.

FAQ

Fix Crooked Teeth At Home

If money is your main concern and to put on braces and surgery isn’t affordable then home remedies can surely work. But it comes with some limitations you should not try this at home if:

1. Your age is below 18.
2. If your teeth are very uneven
3. If you have half milk teeth and half permanent teeth
4. If you have some or all artificial teeth
5. If you don’t go for regular check-ups to the dentist.
6. If you do not wear aligners
7. Your overall health is not good

Technique 1 – Gentle force via fingers

Apply gentle pressure on the teeth to move them in the exact position. But do not be harsh on your teeth otherwise it will cause pain and teeth become loose. Also, pulp and gums are soft tissues so make sure you are not hurting them by doing this. Continue this exercise for 2-5 mins in a day and follow it daily.

Technique 2 – Dental Floss

It just not only help in teeth straightening but its main use is to clean the germs and bacteria which are stuck between your teeth. It is usually made up of nylon. It kind of help in fixing crooked teeth.

Technique 3 – Use of tongue

Well, this is useful for aligning the teeth, but this method can make a gap between the teeth because forcing the teeth with the help of the tongue. So be careful while doing this.