If you have crooked teeth, your dentist can help improve the look of your teeth, aligning them so you can show off a healthy and bright smile. Depending on your needs, there are several cosmetic dentistry treatments to straighten your teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry options for crooked teeth include traditional braces, Invisalign, and veneers.
What Are Crooked Teeth?
Crooked teeth affect more than your appearance. Since crooked or crowded teeth can be more difficult to keep clean, this can put you at a higher risk for developing cavities.
Crooked teeth can also make it harder to chew food because your bite isn’t aligned. This misalignment can wear down the teeth or lead to muscle pain in the jaw.
What Causes Crooked Teeth?
Crooked teeth can happen for many reasons, whether they run in the family or an injury affects your teeth.
Possible causes of crooked teeth include:
- Genetics: You can have crooked teeth due to genetic reasons, like jaw size and shape, teeth crowding, overbite, underbite, or having too many teeth. You’re more likely to have crooked teeth if other family members also do.
- Thumb sucking: Sucking on your thumb or toys as a child can lead to crooked teeth when you’re older.
- Early baby tooth loss: Losing a baby tooth too early in childhood can affect later tooth development. Your other teeth may shift into the open area, where your adult tooth eventually emerges.
- Malnutrition: A healthy diet is essential as children grow. You may develop crooked teeth if you lack the nutrients needed for proper development.
- Injury: Trauma from sports or another accident can lead to misaligned teeth.
- Poor oral hygiene: Oral hygiene is essential, and not caring for your teeth can lead to several problems, like tooth decay. If left unaddressed, tooth decay can cause your teeth to loosen or shift, leading to crooked teeth.
What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of your smile by treating stained, chipped, or misaligned teeth.
There are different cosmetic dentistry treatments, depending on your needs. Some of these treatments include:
Cosmetic Dentistry Options for Crooked Teeth
Crooked teeth are treatable in several ways. Your dentist can recommend the best treatment for your needs. They may recommend traditional braces, Invisalign, or veneers to fix crooked teeth.
Traditional Braces
Traditional braces have been used to straighten teeth for years. Your orthodontist can use brackets and wires to help straighten the teeth, slowly shifting them into place.
As your teeth slowly shift, your orthodontist tightens the braces to adjust them. After your smile reaches its desired results, you typically wear a retainer to help stabilize your teeth.
Invisalign
Invisalign is an alternative to braces, straightening your teeth with clear plastic aligners. They work similarly to braces without needing metal brackets and wires. You can remove these aligners whenever you need to eat or brush your teeth.
Invisalign can help treat several dental problems, including:
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Crossbite
- Open bite
- Gap teeth
- Crowded teeth
During treatment, your dentist provides you with clear aligners you wear for around 2 weeks at a time, slowly shifting your teeth into place. Your dentist replaces your aligners as necessary as your teeth shift.
Veneers
Dental veneers are shells that cover the front of your teeth, helping improve their colour, shape, and size. While they don’t reshape the teeth, they provide a custom-made solution to several problems, from damage to wear and tear.
Veneers can treat several tooth issues, including:
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Discolouration
- Tooth gaps
- Smaller-sized teeth
- Abnormally shaped teeth
Veneers are different from traditional braces and Invisalign. Rather than realigning your smile, the shells covering the crooked teeth make your smile appear straighter.
During treatment, your dentist prepares the affected teeth for the veneers by removing small amounts of enamel. They then take impressions of your teeth, applying temporary veneers until your final set is ready. After your permanent veneers arrive, your dentist applies them to the teeth and makes any necessary adjustments.
Final the Right Cosmetic Treatment for Your Needs
You don’t need to live with crooked teeth forever. Your dentist can help improve your smile with cosmetic dentistry, whether it’s through braces, Invisalign, or veneers.
Contact Arch Dental Centres if you’re interested in cosmetic dentistry.
