There are several major causes of crooked teeth that can impact your smile. Crooked teeth
affect more than your appearance; they’re often responsible for tooth decay, jaw pain, and lack
of self-confidence.
What can cause crooked teeth in a person? The following are the four major causes of
misaligned teeth.
Genetics
Genetics is the most common cause of crooked teeth in an individual. Traits such as tooth size
and jaw size are inherited from our parents, which can cause crowded teeth and jaw
misalignment.
For example, if you have large teeth but a small mouth, crooked teeth are likely. Unfortunately,
we can’t change our genes, so crooked teeth that result from genetics can’t be prevented, but
they can be dealt with efficiently, especially if early orthodontic intervention is possible.
Lifestyle
Besides genetics, there are lifestyle factors that can cause crooked teeth. These factors include:
ï‚· Thumb Sucking. Thumb sucking is normal for babies and toddlers, but if the habit is
allowed to continue as your child grows (typically past the age of five), it could result the
development of crooked teeth.
ï‚· Mouth Breathing. Mouth breathing is a bad habit that is sometimes present in children.
Unfortunately, persistent mouth breathing can cause jaw development issues and
therefore crooked teeth.
ï‚· Tongue Trust. Tongue trust happens when the tongue sticks out through the incisors.
Most infants exhibit tongue thrust, but the habit typically stops around the age of six
months. If tongue thrust continues, it can lead to crooked teeth.
By helping your child to overcome thumb sucking, tongue thrust, and mouth breathing, you can
help prevent the possibility of crooked teeth.
Injury
An injury can move the teeth out of place, resulting in sometimes extreme cases of crooked
teeth. If there are lost teeth that result from an injury that are not replaced, the jaw will
compensate for this loss by shifting teeth and losing bone.
A jaw or facial injury can result in teeth that are out of alignment and may need orthodontia or
the proper tooth replacements to fix.
Damaged Baby Teeth
Baby teeth directly impact the health of permanent teeth. If baby teeth are lost due to decay or
trauma, the placement of the adult teeth can become compromised. This can cause them to
erupt through the gumline at unpredictable angles. Baby teeth help guide permanent teeth into
place, so keeping these teeth healthy is essential.
Baby teeth that are lost or impacted by decay can even affect permanent teeth. Bacteria from
tooth decay on the baby teeth can spread to the tooth enamel on the permanent teeth and
cause damage before these teeth even erupt through the gumline. Baby teeth play a vital role
in the formation of healthy adult teeth!
No matter what the cause of your crooked teeth is, you can always receive treatment. Typically,
crooked teeth are able to be moved into place with orthodontia. With many treatment options
for orthodontics today, you can straighten your crooked teeth and have a beautiful smile
sooner than you think!
