November 17, 2021
Posted In Featured

Dental Crowding: How Can I Fix My Crooked Teeth?

Innovative-Orthodontics-South-New-Jersey-iortho.com-cropped-152-1200x565 Dental Crowding: How Can I Fix My Crooked Teeth?

We’ve all heard of the term “crooked teeth,” but how do they get crooked? The biggest culprit is what’s known as dental crowding or crowded teeth. Dental crowding shows itself in several ways. Teeth may be rotated, crowded behind or in front of other teeth, or even above teeth in the gum line. 

Crowding can lead to serious issues, from tooth decay to trouble eating. That’s why it’s super important to correct crowded teeth with orthodontic care. 

Innovative Orthodontics offers several treatment options to correct dental crowding, from traditional braces to clear braces to Invisalign clear aligners. We can identify the reasons for your crowded teeth, create a treatment plan to straighten your teeth, and leave you with a beautiful smile. 

WHAT IS CROWDING?

Let’s start with the basics: What is “crowding” exactly? Crowding is a form of malocclusion, which means “bad bite.” In this case, your teeth don’t have enough room to erupt or stay in the proper place. They come in above or below where they should be or get twisted or moved in front or behind other teeth. 

One of the most common results of crowding is the tooth becoming twisted in place. For some, it could be slightly angled. In more severe cases, the tooth could be turned completely sideways. 

Another instance is when the tooth erupts above or below the gum line. That means it sits higher or lower than the other teeth. The teeth on either side often move closer together, leaving no room for the misaligned tooth to drop into place. 

In some instances, a tooth erupts above or behind the other teeth because there simply isn’t room for it to grow into its proper place. 

WHY DOES CROWDING HAPPEN?

Crowding can happen for several reasons, but the most common one is simple genetics. People born with smaller jaws may not have enough room for all of their teeth to come in normally. Instead, they come in crooked or misaligned. 

Another genetic issue is large teeth when the permanent teeth are larger than usual and don’t fit within the jaw space. Once again, the teeth come in misaligned or twisted out of position. 

Aside from genetics, other things can lead to dental crowding. If the baby teeth fall out prematurely, other teeth can move to fill in the gap. This means that the permanent tooth doesn’t have room to erupt into its proper position later. 

If the baby tooth falls out too late, the permanent tooth may come in with the baby tooth still in place. With no room for the permanent tooth, it often will erupt in front of, behind, above, or below the baby tooth. 

HOW DO YOU FIX CROWDED TEETH?

The best way to fix crowded teeth is through orthodontic treatment. The options you’ll have will depend on the severity of the overcrowding. You may be able to fix the problem with a few months of braces or Invisalign clear aligners. More severe cases, however, will likely need several months to a couple of years of braces. 

In some cases, extractions may be necessary to make room to straighten the rest of your teeth. We will work with your dentist to figure out what extractions may be required and when they will need to be made. 

GETTING STARTED WITH TREATMENT

At Innovative Orthodontics, you can start with a virtual consultation, followed by a free evaluation to determine the severity of your dental crowding. From there, we’ll outline the best treatment methods for you, such as whether Invisalign is right for you or whether clear or metal braces are a better option.

If you’re in South Jersey or Sicklerville, NJ, areas, try a virtual consult or give us a call to see what we can do for you!

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