What Causes Crooked Teeth?
At Dr. Ross Taddeo Orthodontics, we understand the importance of a straight, healthy smile. While aligning the teeth certainly makes for a more beautiful smile, its importance goes far beyond just aesthetics — it helps create an overall healthier mouth. While some people may never require orthodontic treatment in their lives, the real truth is that a majority of people are born with bad bites (or malocclusions) which will require orthodontic intervention. As your trusted Waterford Lakes orthodontist, we’re here to help you understand why this happens and what treatment options are available.
Causes
There’s a variety of reasons why teeth may grow in crooked, but some factors tend to play a larger role than others.
Inherited Traits
You may find it surprising that, in many cases, you have about as much control the development of your teeth as you do your height or hair color. That’s because many traits that affect dental development are genetic traits you’ve inherited from your parents. If your mouth is too small, your teeth have less room to grow in properly and begin to crowd and shift, or if your upper and lower jaws are different sizes, this can create either overbites or underbites.
Personal Habits
In some cases, however, our personal habits can and do affect our dental development beginning at a young age. Seemingly innocuous habits such as thumb sucking, using a pacifier, or bottle feeding past a certain age can negatively impact the growth pattern of teeth. In fact, the health of your baby teeth have a pretty deep impact on the health of permanent teeth, even below the surface. Harmful bacteria and gum disease can spread through the gums to the permanent teeth, leading to decay and discoloration — and since baby teeth tend to help guide the permanent teeth into position, the premature loss of baby teeth can lead to shifting in your adult set as they grow in.
Other unconscious habits such as mouth breathing and tongue thrusting can lead to teeth shifting over time. If you have more questions about how these early habits can affect your child’s dental development, contact your trusted children’s dentist in East Orlando.
Facial Trauma or Illness
Facial trauma incurred during an injury or accident can also affect teeth alignment. In fact, facial trauma is commonly the cause of the most severe cases of crooked teeth and malocclusions, and loss of teeth or jaw injuries can create an unwanted opportunity for teeth to shift. Growth and development of tumors in the mouth or jaw may also cause teeth to shift and misalign.
Why Orthodontic Treatment is Important
Beautiful, straight smiles aren’t just good for a nice confidence boost — they’re also a great boost for your oral hygiene. Crooked teeth and bad bites can lead to improper food chewing and make keeping your teeth clean more difficult. This can lead to an increased risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease — which some recent studies has even linked to heart disease. Bad bites may also cause unnecessary strain on teeth, your jaw, and its muscles and, in severe cases, lead to tooth breakage.
Visit Your Waterford Lakes Orthodontist Today
Whether you’re an adult dreaming of a confident new smile, or you’ve been searching for a trusted children’s orthodontist in East Orlando for your child, look no further than Dr. Ross Taddeo Orthodontics. No matter your age, our team of compassionate and skilled orthodontic professionals are ready to help. We provide efficient and effective orthodontic treatment that’s individually catered to each patient’s unique needs. If you’re ready to get started, contact us today or fill out our simple online form. We look forward to hearing from you!