Crooked teeth are an oral problem that brings about issues that are more serious than just struggling to have a good-looking selfie. For a good idea of:

• What the risks of crooked teeth can be
• How crooked teeth can get that way in the first place
• If you have crooked teeth and are looking for any sort of crooked teeth treatment option in Los Angeles

Then keep reading.

The Risks and Dangers of Crooked Teeth

Sometimes, teeth become so crooked that they make it harder to chew, possibly to the point of making every meal a painful experience. Other times, crooked teeth can make a person so self-aware of the issue that they stop smiling or abstain from social gatherings.

If you were looking for more explicit issues concerning this particular dental concern, consider the following drawbacks to crooked teeth.

• Periodontal disease. Misaligned teeth can make it easier for hazards like tooth decay and gum disease to arise. When those sorts of issues linger for a long enough time, periodontitis, an infection within the teeth and bones, becomes a possibility.
• Digestive issues. Crooked teeth can make it harder to properly chew food, leading to problems with the body’s ability to digest it.
• Excessive wear. Crooked teeth lead to greater wear and tear around the mouth area, leading to cracked teeth, strained jaws, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) and chronic headaches.
• Speech issues. Misaligned teeth can affect how a person’s words sound, leading to issues with speaking.

What Causes Crooked Teeth?

Whether they are baby teeth or permanent teeth, teeth can start out crooked or become crooked over time.

Baby Teeth Issues

Baby teeth can sometimes turn crooked because they are not large enough for the gum space they have. Recurring habits, like sucking on a pacifier or thumb, as well as heredity and genetics can have an influence on teeth being pushed out or crooked. While crooked baby teeth do not necessarily mean a person’s permanent teeth will also be crooked, teeth that become overcrowded may lead to overcrowding in an adult smile.

If trauma to the mouth or tooth decay contributes to some baby teeth coming out “ahead of schedule,” the permanent teeth may grow into the gums at a slant.

General Causes

• Jaw size. Our modern diet of soft, processed foods means that our teeth need to do far less chewing than our ancient ancestors did. The multigeneration drift from excessively chewing our food has contributing to a smaller jaw size. The prevailing scientific theory suggests that a shorter jaw runs a greater risk of teeth becoming crowded, crooked or misaligned.
• Poor myofunctional habits. These are repetitive oral behaviors like thumb-sucking, using a pacifier of bottle, thrusting out your tongue or breathing through the mouth.
• Malocclusion (misaligned jaw). The upper row of teeth is intended to extend slightly beyond the lower teeth, such that the upper molars’ points smoothly slot into the grooves of the lower molars; malocclusion, meaning “bad closure,” happens when this is not the case. Common misalignments can be over/underbites, so named for the row of teeth that juts out farther (overbite for upper row, underbite for lower row). Poor myofunctional habits can also contribute to malocclusion.
• Genes and heredity. Crowded teeth, crooked teeth and malocclusions can develop more easily in people with at least one parent who suffered from those conditions.
• Poor dental care. Going without regular dental checkups can contribute to problems like gum disease, cavities, crooked teeth and other dental health concerns.
• Poor nutrition. Poor dieting, especially in kids, can contribute to tooth decay or inferior dental developments that lead to crooked teeth.
• Facial injury. Any injury around the face or mouth that dislodges teeth from the gums will likely cause a few crooked teeth.

Treatment Options for Crooked Teeth

If you are looking to treat crooked teeth, here are just some of the solutions that even the best dentist in West Hollywood may suggest.

Braces

Braces are a great option to treat crooked teeth in any patient whose teeth and gums are durable enough to support them. Braces are specially good for helping children because their gums and bone tissues are flexible and still developing. Braces need between two and three years, depending on the severity of the misalignment, to correct crooked teeth.

Learn more about Dental Braces in West Hollywood

Metal

These are held to the teeth with brackets, bands and flexible wiring and may be the best solution for people with complex dental alignment problems. Occasionally, this approach is bolstered with headgear that is only worn during the night. This technology has advanced a good ways from what most people imagine; smaller brackets and less metallic parts also mean a more comfortable mouth for the patient.

Ceramic

These braces, and their supporting archwires, are unobtrusive in their coloring. While these sorts of braces straighten just like metal brackets, they tend to stain or break more easily and cost more.

Invisible

These are near-invisible braces that are intended for teens and adults; basically any individual with a full set of permanent teeth is a valid candidate. The aligners for invisible braces are custom-fitted to the patient’s mouth and work in a manner similar to a mouth guard. They should be removed and replaced twice a month. This method is not intended for severely misaligned teeth and it can take longer to achieve goals than with traditional braces.

Lingual

The lingual surface is the side of the teeth that faces inward, toward the tongue. These are a form of invisible braces that are affixed to the back of the teeth. Unfortunately, they are hard to clean, awkward to adjust to and unintended for severely crooked or misaligned teeth.

Surgery

Teeth-straightening surgeries exist, especially if you want straightened teeth as as soon as possible. One example of this sort of surgery would be the minor procedure of readjust bones and the gum structure. Another, more involved, process entails realigning a portion of the jaw itself; the latter procedure is likely only recommended if the patient’s speech or chewing have been compromised from malocclusion.

In Summary

Crooked teeth are nothing to ignore-ignoring them can actually worsen problems down the line. Left unchecked, crooked teeth can contribute to problems like:

• Diminished self-worth
• Periodontal diseases like gum disease and/or tooth decay
• Difficulty digesting and extracting nutrition from food
• Further damage to the teeth, gums and mouth
• Difficulty in talking

While there are several causes of crooked teeth and some of them, like genetics, are out of a person’s control, there is more than one crooked teeth treatment option in Los Angeles or anywhere else. If you have concerns about your crooked teeth and want the best dentist in West Hollywood, look no further than West Hollywood Holistic and Cosmetic Dentalcare. Our professionals are trained in the various sorts of restorative and cosmetic procedures that plague people with crooked teeth. It would be our pleasure to give you back the sort of smile you can smile about for the rest of your life.

Call now to schedule your dental visit in our our West Hollywood dental practice.