British scientists claim that 8 out of 10 people have crooked teeth. At first glance, slight crooked teeth are not such a global problem. Indeed, most people don't even think about why their teeth become crooked and simply ignore this dental problem. But in fact, crooked front (lower or upper) teeth can not only cause psychological discomfort, but also cause serious health problems.
What types of crooked teeth are there?
In the understanding of most people, crooked teeth are those that are very different in position, shape or size from those next to them, which is, in principle, true. However, curvatures are different and form at several levels. So, there are anomalies of teeth, dentition and their relationship, that is, bite. The first group includes free-standing teeth, noticeably different from the rest in shape, size and location. The second includes dentition that has formed incorrectly as a result of the abnormal eruption of several teeth at once. The third group includes curvatures at the jaw level, which lead to improper closure of the dentition. The smile of people with an abnormal bite is also far from ideal. Now let's try to figure out why people grow crooked teeth.
Who is recommended for malocclusion treatment without braces?
Not every patient can correct crooked teeth without braces. Especially if we are talking about an adult. Unlike a child, in an adult, bite pathologies take longer to correct, and much more force is needed to influence the dentition. However, in some cases, treatment without braces may be indicated. Let's look at them:
- the presence of small diastemas (gaps between the front teeth),
- slight crowding,
- functional disorders: breathing through the mouth, incorrect positioning of the tongue, weakness of the jaw muscles,
- mild to moderate malocclusions,
- one or more crooked teeth in the mouth,
- the need to undergo repeated orthodontic treatment,
- retention (consolidation of the results of orthodontic treatment).
This technology is used for minor malocclusions
Why does a child grow crooked teeth?
There are plenty of reasons why teeth become crooked, and the main one is genetics. Take a close look at the smiles of your parents and grandparents - it is quite possible that you or your baby inherited uneven teeth from one of them.
Another factor that contributes to malocclusion and crooked teeth is the use of incorrect pacifiers and feeding bottles. The hole in the bottle should be located not in the center, but at the bottom of the nipple, so that the baby’s tongue remains in a natural position while eating. Otherwise, the lower jaw will develop incorrectly. As for the pacifier, it should be as thin as possible at the base, otherwise the baby’s teeth will always be in an open position, which will lead to their non-closing. Remember also one more rule - the pacifier should be abandoned before the child turns one year old. Due to prolonged use of a pacifier, a baby may develop an infantile type of swallowing - when the tongue, while swallowing saliva, rests on the teeth and thereby puts strong pressure on them. As a result, the child develops an open bite, which will require a lot of time and effort to correct.
Let us separately highlight another reason for the development of curvature, namely, the lack of proper care for baby teeth. Sooner or later, bottle caries will form on uncleaned teeth, which, as you know, develops quite quickly. If you notice a carious cavity in your baby, immediately take the child to the doctor, otherwise the disease will not only destroy the baby tooth, but also damage the germ of the permanent one. And, as you know, the absence of at least one tooth or its improper eruption can lead to changes in the bite.
In addition, teeth become crooked due to mouth breathing, which develops as a result of frequent rhinitis and other ENT diseases, bad childhood habits such as biting cheeks and lips, constantly holding foreign objects in the mouth, thumb sucking and putting the tongue between the teeth, as well as due to rickets, diseases of the nervous system and maternal diseases during pregnancy.
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.
Crooked front teeth in adults
Teeth can also become crooked in adulthood, for example, as a result of injury or the same bad habits. If you constantly hold a pencil in your mouth, bite your nails or seeds, then sooner or later chips and irregularities will appear on your teeth, and they will have to be corrected. Many patients at dental clinics also complain that their smile is ruined by crooked, that is, incorrectly erupted wisdom teeth. Let's say more, even evenly standing “eights” can change the shape of the dentition - for example, in the case when the patient does not have a very large jaw and there is simply not enough space for “wise” teeth.
However, most often dental anomalies in adulthood appear due to the long-term absence of one or more teeth. If they are not replaced in time with dental implants or at least temporary dentures, then the dentition will soon begin to move apart, trying to fill the gaps that have formed. You know the result of such movements - crooked teeth and their improper closure.
Stages of work on smile aesthetics
The work was carried out in two stages. First we did the top
.
First, we took impressions and made a photographic record. After 5 days, we trimmed the upper teeth and installed temporary veneers
.
After another 6 days, we installed veneers on the upper teeth, during the same appointment we ground down the lower teeth and placed temporary veneers on the lower teeth
.
At the 4th appointment we already fixed the veneers on the lower jaw.
The color of our veneers was OM3
. We chose the color for a very long time and carefully.
It turned out to be a really beautiful color, perfectly matching Maria’s wishes.
Maria became completely different after we fixed the bottom.
We got a fairly serious, smooth job.
Nothing hurts, nothing crunches, nothing bothers her, that is, the joint does not bother her at all. Everything worked out perfectly for our gums.
For the first few days, she took painkillers because her teeth had been sharpened quite seriously.
Crooked wisdom teeth
Crooked wisdom teeth are quite common. Due to lack of space in the dentition, they grow either inside the mouth, or to the side, pressing on a neighbor, or in the cheek. This, as a rule, does not lead to anything good - bleeding of the gums may occur, and when the wisdom tooth grows sideways, destruction of the roots and enamel of the neighboring, seventh tooth. As a result, caries will begin to develop on it, which will lead to a constant inflammatory process. All this can also be accompanied by damage to the soft tissues of the cheek, which is fraught with the appearance of benign or even malignant neoplasms. This is why timely removal of wisdom teeth is necessary. The consequences of crooked wisdom teeth will be too serious if left in place.
Early loss of baby teeth
It is a common myth that baby teeth have no roots. Of course, they have roots, otherwise the teeth could not stay in the gums and perform the function of chewing. When the time comes for them to fall out, the roots of baby teeth gradually dissolve. Therefore, teeth fall out on their own easily and painlessly or are removed with little effort.
Lost milk tooth: the root is gone
But if a child’s baby tooth is removed prematurely, the neighboring teeth, whether baby or permanent, tend to occupy the “vacant” place. They bend and move. A prerequisite is created for crooked teeth growth. It turns out that by the time a permanent tooth needs to erupt, there is not enough space for it. Then it erupts with effort or moves neighboring teeth, or takes an incorrect position.
In addition, early removal of the roots of baby teeth makes it more difficult for the child to chew. He unconsciously begins to chew only on one side, unevenly loading his teeth. This can also contribute to improper formation of the jaw bones.
How to fix crooked teeth?
The method of correcting crooked teeth depends on the patient’s age and type of anomaly. Thus, orthodontic treatment for children is carried out using various removable devices, such as trainers and plates. They correct the location of not only the teeth, but also the jaws, and also normalize the functioning of the muscles of the maxillofacial system and remove excess pressure from the dentition from the cheeks and tongue. However, treatment with removable equipment is effective up to a certain age - up to 10, maximum 12 years. During this period, the child develops a permanent bite, which is corrected using braces or transparent removable aligners.
You can become the owner of a beautiful smile even as an adult. In order to straighten teeth and eliminate some malocclusions in adults, braces are most often used. There are a great variety of braces, ranging from economical but reliable metal ones, to expensive lingual ones, which are attached to the lingual side of the teeth - everyone can choose a design according to their taste and capabilities. Moreover, lower and upper crooked teeth can be corrected without braces; they have an excellent alternative - clear aligners.
An alternative to wearing braces is the restoration of crooked teeth with veneers and crowns, as well as composite materials. In the first case, the procedure does not take much time, but it has one serious drawback - the teeth are ground down before installing orthopedic structures, and wearing dentures becomes lifelong. As for artistic restoration, it involves changing the shape of a tooth using composite materials, which are also used to make fillings. This technique requires a high level of skill from the specialist, and further careful care from the patient, since the composite must be periodically polished in order for the teeth to look aesthetically pleasing. By the way, girls and boys with crooked teeth who have not yet turned 18 years old can also correct their teeth with the help of restoration and orthopedic structures. The only condition is that an adult must be present when signing the contract for the provision of these services.
It is worth noting that the above-mentioned services of Moscow dentists eliminate anomalies only at the level of the teeth and dentition; it is impossible to correct the bite with their help - for this there are orthodontic structures and maxillofacial surgery.
Important!
Correcting crooked teeth in childhood and adolescence is much easier and faster than in adulthood. Therefore, if you do not want your child to wear braces for many months, contact an orthodontist as soon as possible.
Teeth straightening – the price of the issue
Methods for straightening crooked teeth have been described above. Now let's take a closer look at the cost of each of them:
- Installation of braces. The cost depends on the type of system used. For example, the price of sapphire braces starts from 20 thousand rubles. Metal systems are cheaper (about 10 thousand rubles), and the most modern, invisible lingual braces will cost 50 thousand.
- Correcting small bite defects with mouth guards costs from 50 thousand rubles per jaw.
- An initial course of bite correction with a trainer from a qualified specialist will cost 15 thousand rubles. The advantage of this treatment method is that it is absolutely painless, does not harm the teeth and can be used to correct the bite even in young children.
- Veneers and lumineers. The cost of restoring teeth using these plates depends on many factors. First of all, the price varies depending on the material and the manufacturing company. In addition, the final cost depends on the number of teeth being corrected. On average, the price of one veneer ranges from 10 to 12 thousand rubles including installation.
- The cost of dental restoration is determined individually, depending on the materials used and the location of the teeth. For example, the price of composite restoration of crooked front teeth starts from 7 thousand rubles. It is cheaper to restore side teeth: from five thousand.
If you plan to install crowns, the price will depend on the material used. In addition, additional costs may arise during treatment for adjustments to alignment systems.
How necessary is it to correct crooked teeth?
So, we figured out what to do if your teeth are crooked. But what happens if they are not corrected? At first, problems with hygiene will arise, since uneven teeth are quite difficult to clean. As a result, caries will quietly develop in hard-to-reach places, which after some time will penetrate deep into the tooth and then spread to the surrounding bone. The result of all the processes described above will be the loss of one or more teeth, the absence of which will lead to deformation of the bite and the appearance of the patient.
However, that’s not all - due to the abnormal arrangement of the teeth and jaws, the load on them will be distributed incorrectly, which will lead to abrasion, disruption of the temporomandibular joint and chewing muscles, and will also affect the respiratory and digestive systems. Thus, crooked teeth will ruin not only your appearance, but also your health. Therefore, you should not postpone your visit to the orthodontist.
Genetic predisposition
Many problems with bite and teeth in general are inherited from parents. This factor cannot be influenced. But if you know about it, you can take it into account and plan treatment in time.
If parents have had or have problems with bite, the child should be taken to an orthodontist at the age of 2–2.5 years, when all the baby teeth grow in. As the primary occlusion develops, future problems may be noticed.
Dental health is partly determined genetically
How to prevent the development of dental anomalies
The best way to solve the problem of crooked teeth is to avoid crooked teeth. If you want your baby to grow beautiful, straight teeth, carefully monitor his oral health, feed from orthodontic bottles and give him the right pacifiers, watch his posture and try to diversify his diet with solid foods, and also do not allow him to suck his thumb and chew foreign objects. items. As for adults, they should also give up bad habits that spoil their teeth and learn to restore lost ones in a timely manner. And most importantly, don’t forget to visit the dentist at least once every six months and be sure to bring your child to the appointment.
Veneers
Veneers can also be used to hide minor crooked teeth. Veneers are thin plates of ceramic that are fixed to the teeth using a special glue.
The advantages of this method:
- Does not require a long period of treatment;
- Well hides small cracks, chips and yellow teeth;
- During the entire treatment period, the plates retain their snow-white appearance;
- The adhesive for fixation is absolutely safe, does not cause allergies and is odorless and colorless;
- Does not complicate daily oral care;
- Ceramic plates are very difficult to distinguish from real teeth.
Disadvantages of this method:
- They will not correct complex crooked teeth;
- There is a possibility of records splitting;
- Anesthesia is required during installation;
- Long wearing period;
- If there is tooth sensitivity, then this procedure is prohibited;
- If you have veneers, professional teeth cleaning or whitening is prohibited.
Crooked teeth - BEFORE and AFTER photos
Most famous people could not boast of a perfect smile. Below are photos of crooked teeth BEFORE and AFTER orthodontic treatment.
Matthew Lewis
Straightening his teeth did nothing to diminish Matthew Lewis's masculine charisma, and his new smile added to his attractiveness.
Emma Watson
Actress Emma Watson did not retain the “charming childish irregularity” that delighted critics during the “Harry Potter” era and straightened her crooked teeth.
David Beckham
Long known as a style icon in the world of football, David Beckham simply couldn't give up his crooked front teeth.
Demmy Moor
It's hard to believe, but this is the same woman. Demi Moore's flawless smile is the most important feature of her radiant beauty.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has decisively abandoned the gap between his teeth, which many consider just a funny feature that gives individuality. The football player preferred an even, beautiful smile to crooked teeth.
Fifth method. Soft, clear and removable aligners
If you don’t yet know how you can correct crooked teeth without braces, then be sure to pay attention to aligners. They work exactly the same as braces. At the same time, their appearance is much more aesthetic. The aligners are made of transparent hypoallergenic silicone; from a distance they are invisible to others, but up close they shine like natural enamel.
The photo shows the aligners
The aligners can be removed when eating and before daily oral hygiene. Many patients say that they are easy to adapt to. Unlike braces, they do not rub or injure the mucous membranes, do not impose restrictions on food1, do not complicate oral hygiene and do not require the purchase of additional hygiene products (for example, brushes, V-shaped brushes). However, the entire course of bite correction with aligners may require from 5 to 40 sets, which makes treatment expensive. It is also worth noting that aligners will not cope with the most serious malocclusion pathologies.
Read the article on the topic: “TOP 5 popular brands of aligners for teeth straightening with photos and reviews.”
Causes of curvature over time
With age, the human body undergoes significant changes. Teeth become loose and shift - they are influenced by forces both within and outside a person’s control. The main ones are the movements of the tongue, lips, and jaws.
One of the most serious causes of displacement is forceful tongue thrusting. It occurs during swallowing.
The teeth are constantly pressing against each other. When the jaw closes, they assume a state of rest. If one of them is missing, the neighboring ones, as well as the opposite one, begin to shift towards the opened space.
With age, the enamel gradually wears away. As a result, they become thinner and weaker. The bottom row grinds down especially quickly. When it cannot withstand the pressure of the top row, it begins to develop crookedly.
Bruxism - jaw grinding during sleep - also contributes significantly to the displacement , severely curving the upper row.
Caries promotes the formation of gaps between teeth, which fill adjacent ones, which contributes to their curvature.
Aligners
pros
- Invisible guards, unnoticeable during communication.
You can only see them from a distance of less than a meter. Transparent material does not spoil the patient's appearance.
- The removable design allows you to adhere to absolutely no diet.
There are no restrictions on the consumption of different types of products.
- Easy hygiene.
The tray is removable and can be easily cleaned with a soft brush. Clean your mouth as usual.
- Short period of defect correction.
Over a period of six months to a year, with minor pathology, you can see a real effect.
- Creating a 3D setup
, where the future result is modeled, gives the patient an excellent visual picture of a beautiful smile, which motivates and inspires treatment.
- No long period of adaptation
, convenient use of the trays, do not cause severe discomfort. The patient gets used to the design for a couple of days, and then stops noticing the aligners.
- The enamel does not deteriorate
, since hygiene is carried out in the usual format, no additional hard-to-reach places are created.
- It is possible to do without removing the eights
.
- Visits to the doctor every one and a half to two months
.
Minuses
High price.
Depending on the choice of a foreign or domestic manufacturer, the cost changes dramatically. The technologies are the same, so Russian companies do not spend money on transportation. The result is the same, so you can choose a more economical option.
They cannot cope with complex bite pathologies.
To find out if you are included in this number, you need to consult with a specialist. The percentage of patients who are not candidates for aligners is small.
Correction of bite with mouth guards
Aligners, also known as transparent aligners made of a polymer transparent biocompatible material, are made for the patient on an individual basis. They fully take into account the anatomical features of the structure of a particular dental system, which makes it possible to effectively eliminate existing disorders. The process of manufacturing aligners is quite labor-intensive, which affects the cost of the products and the time spent on orthodontic correction.
Manufacturing of aligners includes:
- complete sanitation of the oral cavity;
- taking dental impressions;
- making trays from impressions in the laboratory.
The thickness of the aligners does not exceed 1 mm. Thanks to the special properties of the materials, the aligners are not visible on the teeth even at close range, and do not cause glare in the sun or when photographing using a flash.
