Causes, dangers and treatment of crooked teeth in children and adults

My child’s teeth have started to grow crooked, what should I do? How to solve the problem with milk and permanent curved row. Modern corrective orthodontic systems.

If a child’s tooth grows crookedly, then this is not only a cosmetic problem. A malocclusion can affect the health of the oral cavity and the digestive system. Bite correction must begin at an early age. At the same time, baby and permanent teeth need to be treated for curvature.

Why do children and adults have crooked teeth?

To the question “ Why do teeth grow crooked?” “There is no clear answer. There are several factors that lead to such problems, namely:

• Genetics. About 15-20% of cases of crooked teeth are associated with hereditary factors.
• Features of nutrition and feeding in the early period of growth. Thanks to breastfeeding and proper nutrition, the child trains the jaw muscles and forms the correct position and size of the gums. When he does not have such training, the muscles remain weak.
• Chronic diseases of the nasopharynx. They lead to constant mouth breathing, which negatively affects the teeth.
• Early loss of baby teeth, which causes the main ones to grow outside the dentition and become crooked.
• Bad habits, especially in young children. Sucking a pacifier, sleeping with a finger in your mouth, and the habit of biting your nails have an extremely negative impact on soft bones. Adults are affected by the habit of chewing pencils and pens - this usually bends the front incisors.
• Loss of one or more elements of the dentition. It especially affects the adult bite, which changes slowly. the curvature of the teeth will not be visually noticeable, but will still have a negative impact on the bite.
• The eruption of wisdom teeth can also disrupt the position of one or more molars and incisors. Lack of space in the jaw leads to crooked teeth and then crooked teeth.

The causes of crooked teeth can also be individual, for example, various genetic diseases often contribute to this. Your doctor will help you determine the real basis of the problem.

Braces

Wearing these devices is often recommended for children whose baby teeth are completely missing and their molars are growing incorrectly. Not all teenagers feel the desire to wear such structures in their mouths. The task of parents and doctors is to explain to the child in an accessible form that they will help him find a beautiful smile. In addition, there are attractive braces - sapphire, ceramic, multi-colored.

It makes the most sense to install such structures during the holidays. This will allow the child to better survive the adaptation period. At first, braces may chafe, interfere with normal speech, and cause discomfort. In the future, you should visit a doctor once every month and a half to change the location of the structure.

What are crooked teeth?

A variety of teeth can be crooked, from baby teeth to permanent teeth. It is very important to correct all bite defects in a timely manner, otherwise you can lead to serious changes in the dentition, which will take longer and more difficult to treat.

Dairy

Preventing the curvature of baby teeth is not so difficult - it is enough to see a doctor from an early age. Experienced orthodontists can predict possible curvature even before eruption, let alone 2-3 years. The doctor will help determine whether everything is fine with the child and whether his baby teeth are within normal limits.

You need to understand that a baby’s first teeth almost always grow a little crooked. There is no need to be afraid of this, everything will level out after the final eruption. But if this does not happen, then it’s time to make an appointment with a doctor. It is also normal if your child has small gaps between his teeth.

Small, even spaces between a small child’s teeth are normal.

After complete eruption and before the bite begins to change, it is very important to correct all problems, because crooked baby teeth in children almost always lead to the appearance of crooked permanent teeth. The tooth does not grow in a vacuum; it is guided by the position of its neighbors. If their shape is initially incorrect, new permanent molars, incisors and canines will also not be able to erupt correctly.

Permanent

Curvature of permanent teeth is a consequence of insufficient care of parents when changing the bite or other external factors. How even the permanent teeth will be depends greatly on the condition of the milk teeth. That is why it is better to start treatment as early as possible. This way you get an additional bonus: wearing plates on baby teeth does not damage their enamel, and permanent teeth are not exposed to unnecessary damage.

Interestingly, some adults deliberately crook their teeth to get a “cute baby smile.” This is especially popular in Japan. The appearance really takes on a zest, but such experiments are very harmful and threaten to leave fashionistas without teeth by the age of thirty.

Special crooked teeth look cute, but cause serious damage

Wisdom teeth

Crooked wisdom teeth appear in approximately 40% of cases. Most often, teething begins between the ages of 14 and 25 and can create many problems if a person has a naturally narrow jaw and there is no room for an “eight” in it. In this case, the doctor does not correct crooked wisdom teeth

Elimination of defects

Dentists draw the attention of parents to the fact that crooked teeth are not just an aesthetic defect that can cause complexes. This is also a problem that can affect overall health in the future. Therefore, elimination of defects should be carried out as early as possible and be thorough and systematic.

Dental correction is especially important if:

• children show signs of pronounced asymmetry of facial features;
• uneven teeth lead to the child chewing food only on one side of the mouth, left or right;
• improper growth of baby teeth leads to pronounced disturbances in diction (for example, a baby cannot pronounce the letter “r”, has problems pronouncing the hard sound “l”, etc.);
• signs of nasal breathing disturbance appear, which, in turn, only aggravate the growth curve of the tooth.

In addition to the structures already listed, myotherapy can be used to correct defects. The technique is aimed at performing a number of exercises that train the facial muscles. Thanks to such training, the face is kept in good shape, the maxillofacial system, including the oral cavity, develops correctly. However, myotherapy requires parents to have a lot of free time.

Causes of curvature over time

As mentioned, crooked teeth in adults can develop over time. Usually, habits or other external factors negatively affect the dentition. The most popular reasons for the appearance of crooked permanent teeth in adult patients:

• Long-term bad habits. You should not bite your nails, tear off threads and fabric with your teeth, crack nuts, etc. It may seem that all this does not have a significant effect, but in fact, over time, the teeth change position, succumbing to regular exposure.
• Loss of one element in a row. The remaining teeth move apart, trying to fill the void, and may well become crooked.
• Tooth wear, jaw osteoporosis, gum recession and other aging problems. They don't necessarily cause crooked teeth, but they can be one of the reasons.

Recovery period. Recommendations and contraindications

Any invasive surgery leads to a long recovery period. After removal of a wisdom tooth, the patient may feel:

• general weakness and drowsiness;
• swelling of the soft tissues of the gums;
• dull aching pain in the area of ​​the operation;
• increase in body temperature.

With high blood pressure, as well as during the menstrual cycle in women, repeated bleeding from the wound may occur.

The following recommendations will help speed up the healing process and restoration of damaged gum areas:

• You should not eat or drink for several hours after surgery;
• during rehabilitation it is necessary to limit yourself in smoking;
• You can’t take a hot bath for a couple of days (wash only in the shower);
• Do not sunbathe or overheat for 2 weeks;
• you need to take a course of prescribed antibiotics;
• You should carefully rinse your mouth with antiseptic solutions.

Of course, your doctor will give more complete and, most importantly, personalized instructions, following which you will speed up the recovery process. It is only important not to neglect professional advice, and then within a few days you will feel like a completely healthy person.

Why is it necessary to correct crooked teeth? When is it more effective to correct?

Of course, it is most effective to correct crooked teeth in children. Before changing the bite, it is very easy to influence the dentition - milk teeth, although strong, are relatively easy to influence. But the older you get, the more difficult the dentist’s work is. But don’t think that after 25 everything is lost: modern orthodontic treatment helps to cope with crooked teeth at any age.

Reasons why it is important to correct a crooked tooth :

• Elements of the dentition that have defects are more often susceptible to caries, and it is much more difficult to treat due to their incorrect position;
• The presence of crooked teeth almost always means an incorrect bite and overload of the joint, as well as the main molars (they wear out faster).
• Displaced elements are a common cause of joint hypertonicity, which leads to bruxism.
• Bite pathologies lead to breathing problems and improper chewing of food, which can cause disease in the nasopharynx or gastrointestinal tract.
• Often, the curvature of the teeth leads to a violation of the proportionality of the face.

Treatment of crooked teeth changes a person's appearance and makes him more attractive.

Removable devices

These devices are convenient because they can be easily removed for hygiene procedures or eating. It is important for parents to ensure that the child does not do this on his own - intentionally or accidentally. If necessary, the devices allow you to expand the jaw. There are three types of removable devices:

• Records. Suitable for children from seven years to early teens. They are made of thin wire equipped with a base made of polymer material. Sometimes they can be equipped with screws and springs.
• Trainers. Designed for preschool children. Wearing such devices can be recommended not only by orthodontists, but also by speech therapists, since the devices help improve diction. Trainers help in correcting the bite when the tongue is positioned incorrectly, as well as in cases of disorders associated with mouth breathing.
• Orthodontic nipples. Designed for babies.

What could be the consequences?

It is impossible to ignore an incorrect bite: the consequences turn out to be much deeper than just crooked teeth in the photo and inconvenience when chewing. Crooked teeth are difficult to clean, so bacteria accumulate among them, causing chronic inflammation. It can spread to the mucous membrane and even to the bone. Another disease of this kind is chronic stomatitis. It appears due to the fact that the tooth constantly damages the mucous membrane in one place.

An incorrect bite leads to poor digestion of food, which can lead to gastritis or even an ulcer. This is also facilitated by the entry of bacteria into the intestinal tract. Along with gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases appear, hair becomes more brittle, and other organs that do not receive sufficient nutrition also suffer.

The uneven position of teeth also provokes premature aging of the facial skin and the appearance of deep expression wrinkles. And too much stress on the masticatory muscle is transferred to the joint, which quickly wears out, begins to click, crunch, and then hurt. Unpleasant sensations almost always go to your head, causing something like a migraine.

Features of diagnosing dental anomalies

The diagnosis is made even if the tooth is rotated only a few degrees around its axis. Cases of turning at an angle of up to 45° are classified as minor, and all others are classified as significant. The maximum rotation angle of the dental crown is 180°.

To diagnose and develop a pathology correction program, the patient may be prescribed:

• X-ray of the problem area;
• orthopantomogram, which allows assessing the quality of tissue;
• anthropometric analysis, during which, using specially prepared models of the patient’s jaws, the parameters of the components of his dental system are determined and their relationship is analyzed.

Diagnostics makes it possible to identify the cause of tortocclusion and develop a treatment program that corresponds to the degree of its severity and the condition of the dental tissues. When the teeth are rotated by 10–20°, they resort to straightening the teeth with braces, a trainer or a plate. When the angle is 20–40°, special orthodontic devices based on a spring arch and elastic rings are used. In even more complex cases, orthodontic treatment is combined with surgical treatment.

How to prevent pathology

prevent your child from developing crooked teeth by regularly visiting the orthodontist's office. Even if your baby has a genetic predisposition to certain diseases, dealing with them at an early stage is much easier.

Adults can avoid the appearance of upper and lower crooked teeth if they do not delay the installation of implants after the loss of one of the molars, and also remove their wisdom teeth in a timely manner. In addition, it is necessary to get rid of the habit of gnawing on durable objects, not to knock your teeth against each other and not to clench your jaw during emotional stress.

Aligners

A modern type of device for changing the bite. Aligners cannot eliminate serious defects. But in many cases, wearing them gives good results. Aligners are transparent covers for all teeth, each of which has a separate cell. They look attractive throughout their entire service life. The duration of therapy is short. The great advantage of aligners is that they do not cause discomfort and do not cause allergies. They can be used not only for medicinal, but also for preventive purposes.

Conclusions. Expert advice

Crooked teeth can appear for various reasons, ranging from heredity to bad habits. Both primary and permanent elements of the dentition grow incorrectly, and the “eights” of wisdom are almost always not formed correctly enough. Tooth curvature is not only a childhood disease. Trauma, age-related changes, or even a love of chewing pencils can cause problem teeth in adults.

It doesn’t matter whether you have one or several crooked incisors, you definitely need treatment. The first thing you need to do is contact a therapist, and then an orthodontist, who will decide what to do with crooked teeth in your situation. There are quite a few treatment methods, each with its own pros and cons. Sometimes the doctor decides to combine several methods, for example, installing braces and prescribing wearing a trainer. In especially severe cases, surgery is used.

Lack of treatment is very dangerous, because when teeth are crooked, the load during chewing is distributed unevenly. The longer the patient waits, the more severely some elements of the dentition wear out, leaving others without work. This leads to premature loss of molars and incisors. This is followed by bone depletion and expensive implant surgery, if it is possible at all. Avoiding such a development of events is not so difficult: you need to visit the orthodontist in time and correct the bite.

Treatment

If baby teeth have grown crooked, correction should begin as early as possible. However, it is important not only to straighten the chewing teeth, but also to consult a dentist for the prevention and treatment of concomitant diseases.

The doctor, based on how badly the oral cavity is neglected, will give his recommendations. You may need:

• hygiene procedures in the oral cavity aimed at getting rid of plaque;
• treatment of periodontal diseases, dental caries, if it was not possible to avoid the development of these diseases.

If the teeth are severely neglected, even surgical intervention may be required. Naturally, it can be avoided. But for this, treatment of improperly growing teeth should be done as early as possible, while the jaw has not yet gone through all the stages of growth, development and formation. After all, correcting baby teeth is much easier than correcting permanent teeth later.