Important Things to Know About Crooked Teeth

Many people reach adulthood without ever needing braces to straighten crooked teeth in their childhood. Once they do, it can seem like the worries of ever needing braces are no longer a concern. However, even if they’ve never experienced tooth misalignment before, many adult teeth can shift or be forced out of their proper alignment after they’ve already fully developed. When this occurs, the need to correct their tooth alignment can be a surprised to some patients. It can also be essential to helping them maintain their long-term oral health, which is why we offer discreet and comfortable solutions, such as clear aligners, to help make straightening crooked teeth more convenient.

Adult teeth can become crooked later

Some of the most common reasons why children’s teeth can sometimes become crooked is because of issues with the growth and development of the teeth and/or their supportive oral structures. This makes orthodontic correction in childhood essential, as it helps set the stage for healthier and more properly aligned oral health development. In adulthood, however, there may be one or several external or other oral health factors that can contribute to tooth misalignment. For instance, if you grind your teeth often, have a tooth’s that damaged or lost, or experience other issues with your bite’s balance, the uneven pressure of your bite may be an important factor in your teeth becoming misaligned.

Crooked teeth affect more than your smile’s appearance

There are several consequences to crooked teeth that make straightening them important, including how they make the rest of your bite function. Still, the appearance of crooked teeth is one of the most obvious impacts, and for some patients, it can be the motivating factor in choosing to straighten them. If left untreated, however, crooked teeth can lead to a wide range of associated problems with your oral health. These can include substantial tooth damage, risks of decay developing in one or more teeth, and excessive strain on your jaw joints, to name just a few.

You might not need braces to straighten your teeth

Traditionally, the solution to straightening crooked teeth involved the use of metal orthodontic braces to gently realign them. Today, this is still true for many people who experience tooth misalignment, particularly in severe cases. However, for many older teen and adults whose dental ridges and adult teeth have permanently formed, straightening crooked teeth may be much more convenient with the help of custom-designed clear aligners. Designed to straighten teeth by applying gentle force, clear aligners don’t require the same brackets and wires that traditional braces are comprised of. Instead, they allow you to achieve a straighter and healthier smile by the unique, extremely precise shape of each aligner.

Learn about the importance of straightening crooked teeth

If your teeth are crooked, then straightening them could be more important to your oral health than you’d expect. To learn more, call our Cleveland Family Dentistry office in Cleveland, TX, today at (281) 592-1234. We also serve the residents of Kingwood, Conroe, Livingston, and all surrounding communities.