Everything You Need to Know About Crooked Teeth

Crooked teeth are largely due to genetics – so there is not much a person can do to prevent them.

The good news is that there are remedies to help straighten and correct crooked teeth, which we provide here at Hove Dental Clinic. Before you book your appointment, however, you may wish to know more about them, a few of the less common reasons a person may have them, and why you may want to get them treated.

We’ll be glad to take you through these, as well as the treatment options available when you don’t have the smile you’d like to have. Read on to learn more or contact us and book an appointment with us right away. We’ll be happy to offer you specialist services in the Brighton and Hove area.

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What are the Other Causes of Crooked Teeth?

In some cases, crooked teeth can also occur after an injury such as a fall – and although a person can take steps to reduce the chances of an injury occurring, sometimes accidents are simply unavoidable. These teeth can be very visible, particularly on the front teeth and the bottom teeth of both kids and adults.

What Can Happen if You Don’t Fix Crooked Teeth?

A child’s teeth are still developing and there is normally no need to fix any crooked teeth that will eventually fall out. However, in young adult and adult age groups, crooked teeth can lead to the following potentially serious dental issues:

• Tooth decay: Crooked tooth positions can cause bacteria to collect around teeth and gums. Treatments to fix crooked teeth help prevent tooth decay by managing the bacteria that collects around a crooked or twisted tooth.
• Gum disease: Bacterial problems from Crooked teeth can easily affect the gums, causing gum disease. Fixing crooked teeth will help you avoid gum disease symptoms of redness, swelling, and bleeding gums while brushing.
• Bad bite: A bad bite, which dentists call a malocclusion, is when your teeth are unable to connect properly due to a problem with the teeth or jaw. Fixing crooked teeth can stop you from developing overbite or underbite.

Due to the lack of protection, you will see that you have to deal with increased bacterial problems if you have crooked teeth – so you may find you are heading to the dentist quite frequently, either for cleaning or for testing on the above issues.

What Are the Treatments for Crooked Teeth?

Treatments centre on gradually straightening the crooked teeth to the point that the teeth will no longer cause a problem. Sometimes people get scared of the dentist or undergoing dental treatment. However, in otherwise healthy crooked teeth, treatments will not cause any pain beyond some mild discomfort.

There are several key treatments for teeth straightening including the following:

• Clear braces: A notable treatment for crooked teeth is using clear braces, which allow you to fix crooked teeth in a very fast and almost invisible way. It works by creating a clear plastic aligner using 3D CAD-CAM technology, which only requires a digital scanner briefly placed in the mouth to do.
• Fixed braces: Another treatment for crooked teeth is fixed braces, which uses metal tracks and a composite bonding resin. Metal braces are used with brackets that attach to the wire, which gently pulls the teeth and moves them into a straight position over time.
• Veneers: In the most extreme cases, such as those with severe tooth twisting occurring alongside other problems (including a severe injury or extensive tooth decay) a veneer is the best option. Veneers involve restoring a tooth by capping it with metal, composite resin or porcelain veneers.

Clear braces can fit over the top and bottom teeth and there are versions for both kids and adults. For severe cases of crooked teeth or for crooked teeth that also have significant damage it might only be possible to have fixed braces – as this is the preferred method for straightening more severely crooked teeth.

Alternatively, if you just have mildly crooked teeth you could opt for another cosmetic dentistry treatment – such as teeth whitening, which will help to improve the appearance of your crooked teeth – but not to straighten them.

What is the Best Treatment for Crooked Teeth?

Your dentist will assess your teeth and suggest the most suitable method. There is no best form of braces objectively speaking, but below are a few considerations that might persuade or dissuade you from the options available:

• Cost: Dental clinics charge more for the newer, more sophisticated clear braces – as they use innovative technology that requires powerful computers, expensive specialist devices and advanced 3D imaging software.
• Appearance: Some people just do not like how metal braces look, particularly if you are getting braces in school-age years where the impact of such a change in your appearance can be more difficult to deal with.
• Timeframe: You can straighten teeth faster with some treatments, notably when you get veneers, so the amount of time spent living with a treatment option is a factor in deciding how to proceed for many patients.

For some people, treatment may not be much more than a cosmetic desire for straight teeth, and many people choose to live with slightly crooked teeth that are not causing a problem. Psychological counselling can also help with self-image issues.

Book an Appointment to Fix Crooked Teeth in Brighton and Hove

We can provide effective treatments for kids and adults to fix crooked teeth – and you will marvel at our professionalism and expertise when you visit us. You can benefit from our excellent range of treatment options, which allow us to work with you and find the perfect solution for your crooked teeth.

If you want to fix crooked bottom or top teeth and get better oral health you need a premier service from a well-equipped dental practice. Our clinic in the Brighton and Hove areas is state of the art and our team will make even the most nervous patients comfortable. Please feel free to get in touch to book an appointment.

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FAQs and Useful Information on Crooked Teeth

The following are some common questions about crooked teeth and the services we provide:

Are crooked teeth normal?

Yes! Crooked teeth are entirely natural and everybody has some sort of odd position on their teeth. You should not consider the development of crooked teeth a dental problem per se unless the appearance of the teeth is bothersome psychologically or the teeth are so crooked that they lead to issues with bacteria – such as gum disease or tooth decay.

Are crooked teeth attractive?

Objectively speaking, crooked teeth are neither unattractive nor attractive. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it is only cultural norms in the Western world that makes the appearance of crooked teeth issues for some people. Crooked teeth are erroneously considered a sign of neglect in the West, so this may contribute to the negative perception in a cultural sense. However, in a country such as Japan, crooked teeth are considered endearing, child-like and having an imperfect smile can be considered very attractive indeed. So, it’s all relative!

Please feel free to get in touch with us to book an appointment for your crooked teeth today.