As anyone who has considered orthodontic treatment for themselves or their child, you’ve probably asked yourself why some people’s teeth are straight, and others are crooked. Or whether your child’s teeth will be crooked if yours were too. Well, here are the answers, from a leading orthodontist in Dandenong.

Genetics

Unfortunately, if the biological parents have crooked teeth, their kids are more likely to have crooked teeth too! You can also see jaw issues because of different genetics. Typically, we see issues like overbite, underbite, open bite, and cross bite here. It is also why the same problem may occur in siblings. Sometimes, even if parents have straight teeth, the resulting match up can cause crooked teeth. For example, if mum has a smaller jaw and dad has larger teeth, kids can have overcrowding.

Orofacial myofunctional disorders

This is a group of disorders that affect jaw and tooth position and includes tongue posturing (resting the tongue against the front teeth), resting with the lips apart, and mouth breathing. For example, if a child suffers from severe allergies or has a constantly blocked nose, they can develop the habit of breathing only through their mouth. This ultimately affects how their jaw and teeth develop.

Poor oral habits 

We all have a few bad habits, but some of them can affect our teeth. Things like habitual thumb sucking or sucking on a pacifier (especially as permanent teeth come in) can put pressure on the top teeth, moving them outwards and affecting the development of the palate, for example.

Early loss of primary teeth

Primary or milk teeth might not seem too important, but they’re there to support early physical development of the mouth as well as speech skills. If a child loses their primary teeth much earlier, space isn’t properly retained for the emerging secondary teeth because remaining teeth shift into the open gap. This can cause the tooth to emerge crookedly or impact into the tissue or bone of the jaw.

Physical trauma 

A fall or impact to the mouth can dislocate the teeth, cause early loss of a tooth, and weaken the roots of a tooth, causing shifts in bite pattern. This can result in multiple teeth shifting to accommodate the changes, causing crookedness along the entire jaw.

Want to correct crooked teeth? Visit the braces and clear aligners specialists

Orthodontic Specialists of Melbourne is the best place to visit if you want to correct crooked teeth. We offer a free consultation to all our patients where we’ll evaluate your teeth and make recommendations for any necessary orthodontic treatments. We can advise you on oral health as well as products like braces and clear aligners to help you take control of your smile. Contact us today to find out why we’re the best clinic to get clear aligners or braces in Dandenong.