What causes teeth to become crowded?

Teeth crowding usually results from insufficient room for your teeth in jaws. In other words, either your teeth are too large or your jaw is too small as compared to one another. Of course, there are other reasons for teeth crowding besides a discrepancy between tooth and jaw size. These include premature loss of baby teeth, trapping of adult teeth, or eruption of wisdom teeth.

Having crooked teeth can affect your appearance and self-confidence. Teeth crowding also increases your chance of developing cavities, especially in-between your teeth and increases the likelihood of developing gum disease. This explains why so many people who suffer from teeth crowding want to find a way to straighten their smile. The more crooked your teeth are, the higher your chances of running into serious dental problems. Straightening your teeth can help you avoid countless unnecessary fillings, crowns, and deep cleanings as you age and is a wise investment in your oral health. Let’s examine different teeth crowding conditions to see how you can best treat them:

MILD TEETH-CROWDING

Use at-home clear aligners

Most mild teeth crowding conditions can be treated with at home clear aligners.

Mild teeth crowding is anything no more than 2 to 3 millimeters of crowding in the jaw.  If your teeth are slightly crooked, you don’t need constant dentist supervision to straighten your smile. Most mild teeth crowding cases can be fixed using at-home clear aligner programs like Smile Direct Club™ or Even28 at-home™. Plus, these cases respond very well to clear aligner treatment and can usually be fixed within 3 to 9 months. At-home clear aligner treatment is simple, affordable, and quicker than most people imagine. Click here to learn more about how you can straighten your smile using Even28 at-home™ clear aligners.

To fix your teeth crowding with at-home clear aligners, you first need to find a dentist to evaluate your orthodontic condition. Your dentist will assess your teeth to see if you are a candidate for at-home clear aligner therapy. If you are a candidate, you can start your treatment right away. All it takes is a few impressions or scans of your teeth and you’re all set to straighten your smile. You’ll receive a series of clear aligners within a few weeks and you can start wearing your aligners and straightening your smile!

Fixing orthodontic relapse using clear aligners

Orthodontic relapse is when you previously wore braces or aligners but your teeth have since shifted and become crooked again. Luckily, most teeth crowding conditions that result from orthodontic relapse are simple to fix and qualify for at-home clear aligner therapy. This means that if you had braces or Invsialign® before, chances are you can fix your orthodontic relapse with Smile Direct Club™ or Even28 at-home™ the second time around.

MODERATE TEETH-CROWDING

Choose a dentist-delivered clear aligner program like Invisalign®

 

Fixing more extensive teeth crowding requires dentist involvement in order to address the underlying cause of your teeth crowding.

Minor teeth crowding cases can be fixed with at-home clear aligner programs. However,  more advanced teeth crowding conditions always require direct and continuous dentist supervision. Any teeth crowding case greater than 3 to 4 millimeters should be treated using a dentist-delivered clear aligner program like Invisalign®. In these cases, simply wearing a bunch of aligners at your home won’t get the job done. You’re likely to end up with less than ideal results with Smile Direct Club™. Plus, your teeth are likely to relapse back to their pre-treatment position within a few years and become crooked again! Consider dentist-delivered clear aligner programs like Invisalign® or ClearCorrectt™ to fix these more advanced teeth crowding conditions.

More advanced teeth crowding is usually the result of a discrepancy between your teeth size and jaw size. Your dentist will fix this underlying cause by creating tiny gaps in between your teeth. This process is known as tooth contouring or interproximal reduction (IPR) and is used to correct teeth crowding without the need to remove teeth. Tooth contouring allows for easier tooth movement, more predictable results, and better long-term retention of your straight smile. Plus, once your teeth settle into their new position, they are not likely to relapse, and will maintain their existing position for years to come. This explains why more advanced teeth crowding cases always require dentist-delivered clear aligners instead of at-home treatment. Click on the link below to find an Invisalign® dentist near to you:

FIND AN INVISALIGN® PROVIDER NEAR YOU

SEVERE TEETH-CROWDING

You must wear braces

We know that clear aligners have lots of benefits. They are nearly invisible, can be removed when needed, and are more comfortable than braces. However, clear aligners have their limits in terms of what they can and can’t fix. Any severe teeth crowding case, those in excess of 5 to 6 millimeters, is unlikely to respond to clear aligner treatment. The most advanced teeth crowding conditions always require braces. In fact, many of these cases also require the removal of a few of your teeth in order to correct the underlying cause and create sufficient room for tooth movement. Talk to your dentist or orthodontist to see how extensive your teeth crowding condition is and whether or not you require braces or clear aligners.

BRACES VS CLEAR ALIGNERS

What is the best way to fix my crooked teeth?

There are 3 ways to fix your teeth crowding as discussed above. These are:

(a) At-home clear aligner programs (Smile Direct Club™, Even28 at-home™, etc.)

(b) Dentist-supervised clear aligners (Invisalign®)

(c) Braces

So which is the best option for your smile? It all depends on how much teeth crowding you suffer from. Your dentist or orthodontist will help you decide if your teeth crowding falls into mild, moderate, or severe category. They will also assist you in finding the best way to correct your orthodontic condition. Your dentist or orthodontist will examine your teeth, evaluate your bite, measure your teeth crowding and they can help you choose the program that’s best suited to your needs.

Are you ready to straighten out your smile? Don’t wait any longer, having a straight, beautiful and healthy smile is easier and more affordable than you’d imagine. Click on the link below to find a dentist near you and schedule your orthodontic consultation today. We’ll promise, you will be smiling a lot more once your pearly whites are straight and in their right place!

FIND A DENTIST NEAR YOU