Crooked teeth can be characterised by misaligned or wonky teeth that have grown in directions other than straight.
The crookedness of your teeth can either be genetic or a result of long-term habits like thumb-sucking or excessively pushing the back of your teeth with your tongue.
Having crooked vs straight teeth isn’t inherently bad, and some people like the charm and uniqueness that comes with mildly crooked teeth. But for many, crooked teeth impacts their oral health and how they feel about themselves.
In these instances, undergoing a treatment to achieve straight teeth can be important in improving and maintaining the health and longevity of your teeth, restoring your full mouth function and bringing back your confident smile.
Why are straight teeth important
Crooked teeth come with a range of problems that may impact the health and longevity of your teeth, alongside how you feel about yourself.
Below, we’ll unpack the problems that arise from crooked teeth and why straight teeth are important when it comes to addressing them.
Health benefits of straight teeth
Straight teeth don’t just look great; they’re important for maintaining the health of your mouth and jaw, too.
Oral hygiene
Straight teeth are important for maintaining oral health.
Well-aligned and evenly spaced teeth make cleaning your teeth and caring for your oral health easy.
They allow you to have full access when you brush and floss, letting you remove any plaque and build-up and avoid any bacteria from cultivating.
On the other hand, crooked and crowded teeth come with less accessibility depending on their severity.
There may be portions of your mouth that you cannot brush or floss, which may cause a real problem if food gets trapped in.
Crooked teeth can ultimately lead to periodontal disease and tooth decay.
In these instances, it’s important to visit a trusted dentist who can address any general dentistry concerns, like tooth decay or gingivitis, while also suggesting a teeth-straightening treatment that would be most appropriate for you.
Jaw health
One of the common questions we get asked is if crooked teeth can cause TMJ, and the answer is yes.
While there are many factors that may come into play, crooked or crowded teeth can play a large role in Tempero-Mandidular Joint (TMJ) as they may impact the function and movement of your teeth and jaw.
For example, crooked teeth may stop you from having a stable bite, forcing you to overcompensate and causing issues such as jaw clicking, jaw locking, and general pain.
Therefore, teeth straightening can be important in addressing TMJ and jaw-related problems and providing long-term treatment.
Tooth damage
Another problem caused by crooked teeth is increased wear and tear of your teeth themselves.
Crooked or crowded teeth can cause unnecessary friction while chewing, leading to excessive wear of your enamel. The prevalence of wear only increases if you grind your teeth while sleeping or when you feel tense.
Alongside the wear of your tooth enamel, you may also be more susceptible to tooth breakage.
Whether you bit a piece of carrot on a funny angle or you suffered a traumatic blow to your mouth, your teeth are more likely to break, chip and crack if they are crowded or crooked.
Such breakages may require an emergency appointment which may require implants, porcelain veneers or dental bonding to address any cosmetic appearances.
Straight teeth play an important role in the health and integrity of your teeth. Oftentimes, the best way to prevent the wear and tear of your teeth is by undergoing a teeth-straightening treatment, saving you costs in the long run.
Other benefits of straight teeth
Alongside the oral health benefits that come with straight teeth, there are several benefits that aren’t health-related, but equally important to mention.
Speech
Another question we often get asked at Dental Boutique is if crooked teeth can cause speech problems.
In some instances, crooked teeth have the potential to cause speech problems, this is generally when they interfere with full mouth functioning, preventing certain sounds from forming.
For example, crooked teeth may prevent lips from fully closing or may impact the movement of the tongue, causing lisping to occur.
While minor crowding or crooked teeth may have little to no impact on speech, severe crowding or crookedness is a different story.
A teeth-straightening treatment is important in addressing any speech issues.
Face shape
Teeth-straightening treatments like Invisalign and braces can do wonders in restoring the health and look of your teeth, but there’s another added bonus that’s less commonly known.
Straight teeth can change the appearance of your face. While the structure and length of your face won’t change, the symmetry achieved from shifting your teeth and jaw creates angles that may make your face appear different.
Teeth-straightening treatments can also correct overbites and underbites, which may play a role in changing the angle of your jaw, impacting the shape of your face.
So while the answer to ‘can straight teeth change your face’ is oftentimes no, the result is much the same.
Self-confidence
Lastly, straight teeth can be important in restoring your self-confidence.
It’s no surprise that how we perceive ourselves impacts our self-esteem and therefore our self-confidence.
When we like the reflection beaming back at us in the mirror, it can do wonders for how we feel about ourselves and how we conduct ourselves.
Many of our patients who sought our teeth-straightening treatments have shared how pivotal their treatment has been in helping them find their smile again.
You can see some of our incredible smile transformations here or read our patient stories here.
Teeth straightening at Dental Boutique
There are many varied reasons why straight teeth are so important, from the functioning of your jaw and preventing tooth decay all the way to improving the appearance of your face shape.
At Dental Boutique, our expert dentists utilise leading technology and dentistry practices to treat crowded and crooked teeth.
We begin with a consultation to assess the condition of your teeth before recommending the best treatment path for you. At every step of the way, we’ll be guided by you to ensure the end result matches your expectations.
If you’re looking to begin your straight teeth journey, you can contact our friendly team today.
