Although they can be a result of bad habits (thumb-sucking, tongue-thrusting, mouth breathing) and injuries, crooked teeth are generally caused by genetics — if the parents have crooked teeth, then their children are likely to have the same condition. However, some parents opt to ignore their teen’s crooked teeth, especially if they’re mild or if their teens aren’t complaining about it. In some cases, parents think that it’s too costly to have their teen’s teeth treated at the moment and feel no urgency to address the condition immediately. Whereas, sometimes, teens simply are against the thought of getting braces or similar orthodontic treatment.
Unfortunately, there’s more to crooked teeth than just its negative impact on your teen’s self-confidence; teeth crookedness can affect one’s quality of life and even have serious medical repercussions. For parents (and also teens who object to getting treated) to understand why crooked teeth in teens should be addressed immediately, it’s important to know exactly how bad it can affect them:
#1 More Prone to Dental Diseases
Crooked teeth can make it easier for food to get stuck and harder to remove. Additionally, crooked teeth make it much more difficult to clean the gaps and nooks between teeth by flossing or brushing. This results in plaque and bacteria buildup on the gums and teeth, which means that teens with crooked teeth have a higher risk of getting tooth decay, gum disease, and even periodontitis which is a serious and very painful gum infection that can destroy the gums, bones, and tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. In other words, it would be challenging for those with crooked teeth to maintain good oral hygiene and dental health.
#2 Bad Breath
Bacteria that cause bad breath can quickly accumulate and build-up due to difficulties in removing bits of food and in cleaning the spaces between teeth. This side-effect of crooked teeth can further aggravate any self-esteem issues caused by having misaligned teeth.
#3 Problems in Speech
As if the unpleasant sight of crooked teeth and bad breath aren’t enough, bad teeth alignment can further add insult to injury by causing a lisp or similar speech problems. Pronunciation is affected by the lips, tongue, and teeth, so misalignment can make it difficult to produce certain sounds or pronounce certain words correctly.
#4 Expedited Wear and Tear
When your teeth are crooked, they don’t exactly work as ‘normally’ as straight teeth when chewing, which also means that your teeth suffer from uneven wear and tear — some teeth have their enamels worn out sooner than others, which can result in chipping and followed by further damage. This uneven and excessive wear and tear can also affect your jaw muscles and gums, resulting in cracked teeth, jaw problems, and even chronic headaches.
#5 Digestive and Nutritional Problems
Crooked teeth make it difficult to chew food properly. Poor chewing can result in reduced nutritional intake (which can affect overall health), as well as digestive issues due to food not being masticated well-enough to facilitate easy digestion.
Conclusion
Crooked teeth can cause a lot of self-esteem and overall health issues, and the ones listed above are only a few of the many other possible adverse effects that crooked teeth can cause. Luckily, if you’re near the mid-Peninsula in Redwood City, there are orthodontics clinics that specialize in teen orthodontics that you can book an appointment with today.