The Causes of Crowded Teeth and How It Can Affect Your Oral Health
Crowded teeth is a developmental issue. It's about how we grow, how our skeleton grows while we're children, and then the teeth follow where the skeleton is. If, for whatever reason, the jaw—lower or upper—doesn't grow at the same rate as the teeth coming in, there's not going to be enough space. The teeth will find a way to come in, whether that be outside, inside, rotated, however that may be.
There are some theories that this can be attributed to not very good nutrition as a baby, child, or adolescent. However, I don't know how substantial that is, but I have read some scientific research that points kind of that way. It can also be genetic.
What is the difference between mild, moderate, and severe teeth crowding?
The difference between those three is the severity. Mild means you're going to have some crowding, but you can probably get by just fine. Most people actually have crowding to some extent. It can involve all the teeth, just the front teeth, one side versus the other, or anywhere in between.
Moderate crowding involves areas where food gets stuck and it's hard to clean. Severe crowding is when you need braces or Invisalign, something like that. Depending on the severity, braces can be more beneficial or more controlled.
How does bottom teeth crowding differ from upper teeth crowding?
I don't know if there's much difference. The bottom front teeth are the smallest in the mouth, and when they crowd, the amount of bone around them will be less. They can be more compromised as far as possibly losing them in the future if not addressed early on. It's not necessarily the same for everyone; everybody's situation is different.
What are the treatment options for fixing crowding?
The first and best option is braces. The second option would be clear aligners like Invisalign. There are a couple of other companies out there. Those are pretty much the only ways to address that.
Sometimes, rarely, some teeth will have to come out to give enough room for the remaining teeth to find a space, especially if you're no longer an adolescent and still growing. Your bone isn't going to grow anymore, and your jaw isn't going to get bigger. In severe crowding cases, usually removing some teeth is necessary.
How does dental crowding impact a person's life overall?
Crowding is something that you grow with, and your body gets used to it. In really severe cases, it's hard to eat and chew. Speech can be impeded. Breathing can be impeded because the airway, which is the beginning of the airway, can be constricted, affecting that.
How long does it take to correct severe crowding?
Everybody's different in terms of how long it's going to take. A lot of times, braces can be needed for a year up to four years. It really depends.
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