We know you always want what’s best for your children; you want them to be confident, happy, and healthy. But what if something is keeping them away from all that? Which is why it is important to learn about crooked teeth?
Crooked teeth can drastically reduce your child’s self-esteem and make him/her smile less.
But worry not, in this article we have discussed important things you need to know about them and how they can affect your child.
What Causes Crooked Teeth?
The crooked teeth condition is not just found in permanent teeth but can be caused to baby teeth as well. Several reasons cause crooked teeth like baby teeth moving close to one another, trauma to the mouth, tooth decay, etc.
However, stay assured that if the baby’s teeth become crooked, it doesn’t mean that permanent teeth will come out as crooked too.
Here are several reasons that cause crooked teeth:
- Poor myofunctional habits such as thumb-sucking, mouth breathing, etc.
- Misaligned jaw
- Genetics and heredity, if both or either of parents has crooked teeth, then chances are your kid might have them too,
- Poor nutrition and dental care,
- In some cases, a facial injury.
How Crooked Teeth Affect Your Child?
In some cases, crooked teeth can cause complications and can affect the quality of life for your child. Why? For example, misaligned teeth can cause pain every time your child tries to eat something and also affects his/her chewing ability.
Apart from that, it can severely hamper your child’s self-confidence and can cause him to stop smiling, so he/she can hide her crooked teeth.
We can divide the effects of crooked teeth on children into two major categories – Psychological Effects and Physical Effects.
Psychological Effects
If your child has crooked teeth, then there are chances that he will smile less and can even start withdrawing from his/her peers.
However, children may become more self-conscious and ask questions and interact with you to understand what’s wrong with their teeth.
One research also shows that improving the physical appearance of teeth can help children to feel more confident and have improved social interactions.
Physical Effects
Having straighter teeth comes with many advantages such as ease of cleaning them as there is very less space for plaque to build up.
However, with crooked teeth, your kid will find it very difficult to brush & floss his/her teeth properly. This may lead to poor dental hygiene, further leading to tooth decay and other dental issues.
Crooked teeth may cause other dental health issues too, such as:
- Periodontal disease- It becomes very difficult to clean in between crooked teeth, resulting in gum diseases and tooth decay. If it still remains untreated, gum disease can cause periodontitis, which is a more severe infection that damages bones and teeth.
- Improper chewing and digestion- Crooked teeth can cause improper chewing, which may lead to digestion issues.
- Excess wear- Jaw strain, cracked teeth, chronic headaches, etc are some of the consequences of crooked teeth. Why? Because of the excessive wear and tear on teeth, gums, and jaw muscles.
- Speech issues- Misaligned teeth can cause how you spell words by affecting how you articular sound.
Summary
If you notice your child has crooked teeth, then the first thing you should do is book an appointment with an orthodontist and take your child to visit him.
You can easily book an appointment with us and ensure your child’s confident, happy, and healthy smile.