If two’s company and three’s a crowd, what about 32? That’s the number of teeth in the average adult mouth. Having more or fewer isn’t always an issue, but no matter the count, overcrowding can still occur. When this happens, your teeth arrange themselves in odd, impractical clusters. That’ll cause you to experience difficulty eating, speaking, or smiling. As you can imagine, overcrowded teeth are worth addressing for both practical and cosmetic reasons.
What Are Overcrowded Teeth?
Overcrowded teeth don’t fit into your jaw properly. The result? Your teeth overlap to compensate for a reduction in jaw space. They may even rotate and twist around one another.
Dental crowding is a type of malocclusion or bite misalignment. It can co-occur with other malocclusion issues, such as:
- Crossbite: Lower front teeth are in front of upper front teeth, or upper back teeth are inside lower back teeth.
- Open bite: Upper front teeth don’t meet lower front teeth symmetrically.
- Overbite: Upper teeth cover most of the lower teeth while biting.
- Overjet: Front teeth “buck out” over the bottom teeth.
- Underbite: Bottom front teeth stick out beyond upper front teeth.
What causes dental crowding? Losing baby teeth either too early or too late can result in dental crowding. So can the eruption of a permanent tooth where there’s still a baby tooth present. Other causes of overcrowded teeth include:
- Cleft palate or lip
- Early childhood habits
- Excessively large teeth
- Extra teeth
- Genetic factors
- Underdeveloped jaw
You’ll want a skilled orthodontist to address overcrowded teeth as early as possible, no matter the cause.
Consequences of Overcrowded Teeth
If your teeth are too crowded, you may be too self-conscious to smile. You may also experience significant practical difficulties, such as:
- Bone loss
- Dental pain
- Gum disease
- Oral hygiene issues
- Plaque buildup
- Speech difficulties
- Temporomandibular joint disorder
These symptoms can diminish your overall quality of life. That’s why we take overcrowded teeth seriously. Our goal is to help you get back to great dental health so you can live your best life.
Orthodontic Solutions
To help us develop your custom treatment plan that addresses overcrowded teeth, we use CBCT images—a 3D X-ray—to understand exactly what’s going on. Then, we consult with you on what needs to be done. We use a variety of devices and techniques to correct overcrowded teeth, such as:
- Braces: Braces treat overcrowding by gradually guiding your teeth into the correct position. They can be made of metal, ceramic, or another material.
- Clear aligners: These are see-through, custom-crafted trays you wear over your teeth and remove before eating. Invisalign® is a popular, FDA-cleared aligner choice.
- Extractions: If your teeth are crowding one another to a severe extent, we may recommend extracting one or more to create more space. This may be a preliminary step for beginning another treatment, such as braces.
- Retainers: Retainers may be useful for correcting a minor degree of crowding. They’re more often used to maintain teeth straightness following treatment with braces or aligners.
Correcting overcrowded teeth may be a multi-step process involving more than one of the above treatment methods. In more advanced cases, you may require dentofacial orthopedic interventions. These are especially successful in children. Dentofacial orthopedic devices include:
- Activators that shift either the upper or lower jaws forward
- Mandibular expanders that gradually widen the mandible (lower jaw)
- Palatal expanders that slowly broaden the cartilage in the maxilla (upper jaw)
These devices work best for children since their oral structures haven’t fully formed. Adults may require surgery to correct serious alignment issues.
It’s Time To Make Room for Your Best Smile!
A full set of teeth may seem like a blessing, but when they compete for limited space, the result can be discomfort, misalignment, and a smile you’re reluctant to share. Here at Orthodontists Associates of WNY, we know very well that overcrowded teeth aren’t just a cosmetic matter. That’s why we aim to correct orthodontic issues as early and comprehensively as possible.
Contact us for a free consultation. We have 7 convenient office locations, meaning you’ll never have to go far to get your smile back.
