Crooked Teeth

What to do about crooked teeth?

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, approximately 80 percent of American teenagers are currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. Although advances in orthodontic devices and increased availability of such devices explain part of this increase, it still means there are a lot of crooked teeth in the world.

The theories about what is causing so many crooked teeth range from the ridiculous to the scientific. For years, oral health professionals believed that crooked teeth were an evolutionary result of the change in Western diets from raw, wild foods to soft, processed foods. That theory has since been debunked.

The truth is that crooked teeth can be caused by a number of things.  It could be an inherited trait. Parents with crooked teeth and malformed jaws are more likely to have children with malocclusions.  Sometimes dental restorations such as crowns can change your bite and cause teeth to become crooked.  Baby teeth that fall out early or hang on for too long can cause teeth to crowd.  It could be possible that the jaw is just too small to accommodate all of a person's adult teeth. In addition, there are harmful habits such as  thumb sucking and the use of a pacifier for too long  that can contribute to crooked teeth.

Fortunately, modern orthodontics offers a number of solutions for crooked teeth. Traditional metal braces used to be the most popular solution but Kemp Orthodontics provide a number of clear, aesthetic options as well. If you're tired of hiding your smile because of crooked teeth, contact Dr. David Kemp and his team at Kemp Orthodontics to set up an appointment. We'll have you showing off your straight Beautiful Smile in no time!