Heredity and genetics are often a prime reason for crooked teeth and can result in factors that are congenital (present at birth). Sometimes a child’s jaw is too small to provide enough space for teeth to grow normally. Other times, there is a difference in size or shape between the bottom and top jaw. These conditions will dictate how teeth grow and how a bite is formed.
Other causes of misaligned bites and teeth can happen when you are very young. For instance, if you lose your baby teeth early for whatever reason (accident, decay, etc.), the new teeth will not grow in as they would have if they erupted at their correct time. If baby teeth fall out too early, space can be lost in the mouth, and that can cause crowding of the underlying adult ones that come in later. Similarly, if baby teeth fall out too late, the underlying adult teeth can come in crooked. Common oral health problems in small children, such as chronic thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, pacifier use beyond the age of three, or prolonged use of a bottle, can also all contribute to crooked teeth later on.
Illness or injury can also result in crooked teeth. These include but are not limited to gingivitis (gum disease), a severe facial injury that affects the jaw, broken teeth, and oral tumors. Allergies, enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids that block the airways, and anything else that might cause heavier mouth breathing can all cause teeth to realign improperly. Teeth might also become misaligned due to improper fitting of dental restorations, like fillings or crowns.
Physical pressure on your teeth can also misalign teeth over time. This includes long periods of sitting up while leaning your face on your palm (like at a desktop computer), and even sleeping face down. If you sleep eight hours a night with constant pressure on your jaw and teeth, that could also have an adverse effect on your teeth alignment over time.
There can be many factors involved when teeth become crooked over time. Our Schuylkill PA orthodontist is well-prepared to address them, to help prevent your teeth from misalignment, and to correct any teeth that might already be crooked! To find out more, call Spark Orthodontics at 610.223.7777.
The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to orthodontics, feel free to contact Spark Orthodontics, with a convenient Schuylkill orthodontic office by clicking here or by calling 610.223.7777.
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