You might have heard of or seen crooked teeth before, but have you ever wondered what causes them? Lots of factors affect the appearance of teeth. One of the most common reasons is tooth crowding.
Usually, people don’t know they have crowded teeth until a dentist tells them. It can cause teeth to rotate, go behind or in front of others, or even grow above the gum line. It could even lead to other problems, like tooth decay and damage.
Many suggest getting your teeth fixed when you find out about crowding to avoid complications. But to give you an idea, here are five issues tooth crowding can cause.
1. Crooked Teeth
One of the most common problems caused by dental crowding is making your teeth look crooked. In some cases, it changes the direction your teeth grow.
It happens because there’s not enough room for your teeth to grow in the proper places. As a result, they push against each other during growth, causing some to move forward or back, tilt, or grow somewhere else.
Dentists usually treat crooked teeth with braces. They remove teeth as much as needed to create enough space, then attach braces to fix their alignment.
2. Misaligned Bite
Tooth crowding isn’t only about your teeth running out of room. It also results in misaligned bite because your teeth don’t line up correctly.
Even when the teeth you see don’t appear misaligned, it could be in the parts you don’t usually see or at the back. The bite issues you are likely to experience are overbite or open bite.
The benefits of braces allow you to realign your teeth, meaning it also fixes your bite alignment. You can contact an orthodontist to find out other tooth crowding treatment options.
3. Teeth Damage
The more your teeth overlap, the more likely they damage each other over time. They could graze against each other during growth or smack together more than usual whenever you close your mouth.
Although teeth don’t easily break, they become prone to damage when they stick out due to tooth crowding. Some of these are subtle, but other issues can result in large cracks or chips on your teeth.
4. Dental Cleaning Difficulty
No matter your condition, flossing and brushing your teeth is a must. But even when it’s part of your daily routine, dental crowding can hinder the benefits.
The lack of proper spacing between teeth makes it harder to clean them. Floss could get stuck, or brush bristles fail to reach narrow parts. It results in plaque and tartar buildup or bits of food caught somewhere you don’t notice.
5. Gum Disease
When you don’t clean your teeth thoroughly, it could lead to gum disease. If you experience mild gum disease, treat it with a deep clean and stay consistent with oral hygiene. But for severe cases, it requires more treatments.
Prolonged gum disease can also cause tooth loss, jaw damage, bad breath, and oral infections that lead to other health complications.
Prevent Tooth Crowding Issues to Maintain Good Dental Health
While tooth crowding doesn’t sound like a major problem, it can result in several complications. If you want to know how to fix dental crowding, have a professional assess your condition first. This way, you know what risks to look out for and how to prevent them correctly.
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