What Does Crowding Teeth Mean?
Ideally, in your mouth, there is the right amount of space for your teeth to come up without crowding the mouth or leaving any gaps. When your mouth is closed, your top teeth should hang slightly over the bottom teeth and should align in a comfortable place when biting down. If your mouth does not have enough space for all of your teeth, causing them to be misaligned or twisted, this is called dental crowding. As a child, when your teeth come in, they find the quickest way to erupt out of the gums, even if that means interfering with the path of another tooth. This can lead to a very crowded or crooked-looking smile. Dental crowding can be orthodontically corrected. The orthodontist will create extra space in the mouth, most commonly by removing extra or unnecessary teeth, and once that space is created, braces are put on to align the teeth, correct the crowding, and prevent further oral issues.
What Causes Dental Crowding?
There are many factors that can cause dental crowding, with the leading factor being genetics. The basic framework of our dental structure, such as jaw size and tooth size, is most often determined by our genes. Some other factors may cause misalignment of one or a few teeth, while others may cause the entire row of teeth to come in improperly. Those factors include, but are not limited to:
- Early loss of baby teeth
- Extra adult teeth
- Abnormal tooth growth
- Abnormally large teeth
9 Signs of Dental Crowding
If you believe your teeth may look crowded or notice that your child’s teeth are coming in twisted and misaligned, there are a few signs you can look out for to determine whether or not you should seek treatment options.
- Do you feel discomfort when biting down?
- Do you notice any teeth that are positioned at an unusual angle in your mouth?
- Do you notice any teeth overlapping each other?
- Do you have a crossbite (upper row of teeth sit inside the lower row when biting down)?
- Do you have excessive overbite (also known as “buck teeth,” where the top teeth protrude outwards, creating a larger-than-normal gap between the bottom row of teeth)?
- Are you experiencing any jaw pain?
- Do you have trouble biting or chewing?
- Do you feel pain or find it difficult to brush or floss?
- Do your gums bleed when you floss?
Does Dental Crowding Cause Further Oral Issues?
The main issue with crowding is that it can cause serious oral hygiene issues. Crowded teeth make it much harder to clean properly. This can increase plaque buildup and bacterial growth. A few common issues caused by dental crowding are cavities, gum disease, toothaches, issues with biting, chewing, or speaking, and TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction).
If you believe your teeth may be crowded or notice that your children’s teeth are becoming so, ask your dentist about the severity of the case, whether or not they predict long-term risks to your overall oral health, and potential treatment options if they see fit.
Related Article: What Causes Crowding Teeth?