Many teens and adults in Leicester come to our practice to fix their crooked teeth and enhance their appearance. We can’t stress enough the significance of having your misaligned, or crooked teeth treated the soonest possible. If left unattended, they WILL get worse. Untreated crooked teeth can cause a series of serious problems, such as periodontal disease, which is an extremely difficult issue to deal with that creates enormous amounts of stress on your jaw and teeth. 

 

Why Should I have my Child’s Crooked Teeth Treated Immediately?

Misaligned teeth (teeth that don’t align properly in the mouth) create malocclusion, which affects the majority of adults over the world. If left untreated, it can escalate into a more serious type of malocclusion, and eventually to periodontal disease. What is periodontal disease and what does it do to your mouth and overall health? Crowded teeth cause buildup of tartar and plaque and harbor bacteria. When this happens, you may develop periodontal disease, which could result in tooth and jaw bone loss. The disease starts with bleeding gums or gum redness. You may also notice bad breath. If you don’t get it treated, the gum inflammation will become worse, the gums will recede, and you may see pockets between your gums and your teeth. Then, you will experience bone loss and eventually tooth loss. To avoid all this undesirable and uncomfortable situation, you child’s crooked teeth have to be treated and be properly aligned.

Note: With good oral hygiene, your child may reduce the chances of tooth decay, plaque retention, and periodontal disease. However, they should be regularly seen by a dentist to start an early intervention if a problem arises.

Other than that, crooked teeth don’t allow for proper cleaning and food stays lodged between the teeth for long. This could result in tender and sore gums. Now, if your child also has a deep bite, another form of malocclusion, they can cause premature chipping and wear of the lower front teeth and damage to the palate, as well. The same applies to cross bite and edge-to-edge bite that can result in chipping of the teeth, worn down front teeth, and law joint pain, among others. As for an open bite, your child could experience gum recession, bone and tooth loss, excessive wear on the back teeth (prematurely).

 

Why is periodontal disease so dangerous?

Because it can increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is when the arteries harden and block the normal blood flow to and from the heart.

 

Is there any Chance they Become Worse during Treatment?

The most popular option is Invisalign, with 96% patient satisfaction rate.

YES: You may hear of parents having braces to straighten their children’s teeth saying that their teeth look worse than what they did before (have gaps where they didn’t have, etc.).

This does not mean that the treatment is doing any damage or is ineffective (provided they had their braces fitted by a skilled orthodontist). It is because teeth straightening is a dynamic process that changes the teeth. During the alignment process, especially the first 6 months, the teeth are forced to reposition. You see, they had drifted into a position where they are functional and stable for all these years, and the body had adjusted to the malocclusion by making what is called dental compensations. When straightening the teeth, we are asking the body to make other changes and adjust to the new situation as we unravel the crowding and remove dental compensations. At this phase, you may notice some changes in the alignment of your child’s teeth, get spaces where you didn’t have before, have a couple of teeth look more crooked and develop an underbite/overbite where there wasn’t before. All of this is 100% temporal, necessary, and normal.

 

Have any unanswered questions? We are here to help! Just Contact our office in Leicester today and book your first consultation entirely free of any obligations!

Together, we will find the best options for your child to grow up a healthy adult and face life with a wide, bright, straight smile!

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