What Causes Crooked Teeth?

Crooked teeth can be frustrating and many people want to know why their teeth aren’t straight. There are actually many different reasons why the majority of people have crooked teeth.

Genetics

Your genetics can actually play a huge role in how your adult teeth come in after your baby teeth. While your teeth probably won’t come in exactly like your parents’ teeth, your mouth can have a similar shape to one or both of your parents.

If you inherit a smaller mouth from your family, then there might be less room for your adult teeth to grow, causing crowding and space issues. The less room there is for your teeth in your mouth, the more crooked they will be.

Underbites and overbites are also known to be caused by genetics and can often result in misaligned teeth.

Childhood History

Your childhood history is a huge factor in how your teeth form. For many kids, their baby teeth come out either too early or too late, causing issues with their erupting adult teeth.

Permanent teeth form beneath baby teeth and dissolve their roots, making room for themselves. If your jaw is too small or crowded, there might not be enough room for adult teeth to come in directly under each baby tooth. This can result in adult teeth appearing in front of or behind baby teeth, leaving their roots intact and crowding your mouth even more.

Once baby teeth are removed or fall out on their own, the permanent teeth that came in out of place will remain crooked until braces can be used to fix them.

A big part of some childhoods is pacifiers and thumb-sucking, which can be great for soothing infants. But if a child continues to use a pacifier as they grow into toddlers and beyond, this habit can cause crooked teeth.

Pushing a pacifier or a thumb against the roof of your mouth can cause your upper palate to be deformed and cause issues with how your adult teeth come in. This can also cause a severe overbite as the top teeth are pushed further out or open bites, which means the top and bottom front teeth don’t meet when the mouth is closed.

Injuries

Not all reasons for crooked teeth are predetermined by your family or early on in life. Some causes can happen at any time. If you fall and hit your face, get hit while playing sports, or even get hurt in a car accident, you could suffer serious mouth and teeth damage. It’s extremely important to see a dentist and orthodontist after a dental injury so you can get your teeth looked at and fixed.

Traumatic teeth injuries are much easier to fix as soon as they happen. If you wait too long, a tooth that has been knocked loose can reattach itself to your jawbone incorrectly, resulting in a crooked tooth. Your dentist and orthodontist will be able to fix this issue easier while your teeth are loose rather than correcting a poorly reattached tooth.

Mouth injuries and trauma can be really scary and painful, but keep in mind that doctors, orthodontists, and dentists can find a way to fix your smile again.

There’s no need to be upset with your crooked teeth anymore. There are plenty of ways to correct any type of teeth, bite, or jaw issues. Braces, Invisalign, and specialty appliances can all fix crooked teeth, no matter how they got that way.