Crooked baby teeth are very common in children. They are not usually a matter of concern (which should provide relief to parents). As children grow and develop, their teeth usually align over time as the arch expands. However, they should not be completely ignored. In cases of severe misalignment, professional help may be necessary.
Baby teeth, also called primary teeth, pave the way for permanent adult teeth. They preserve space and guide the permanent teeth into their designated positions. However, they may erupt at an angle or in a slightly different position, creating a crooked appearance for several reasons, such as the shape of the arch, genetics, or oral habits.
Reasons for Crooked Teeth
The following are the common reasons for crooked teeth:
Genetics:
Parents’ genes affect a child’s overall development and growth. The presence of crooked teeth can be hereditary, depending on the parents’ genetics.
Thumb-Sucking and Pacifier Use:
Oral habits significantly affect the development of the arch. The presence of para-functional habits or excessive use of pacifiers puts pressure on erupting teeth. Thumb sucking, in particular, distorts palate development, narrows the arches, and pushes the teeth outward, resulting in crooked baby teeth.
Tongue thrusting:
This is also a para-functional habit that results from an abnormal position of the tongue because of improper infantile swallowing. This habit can lead to an open bite, resulting in poor lip development.
Jaw and Tooth Size:
Variations in size can also affect alignment. Too small or too large teeth can contribute to alignment issues such as spacing or overcrowding. The size of teeth depends on the baby’s genetics.
Injury:
Any injury to the jaw can cause teeth to fall out prematurely, resulting in misalignment. Crooked milk teeth can follow the premature loss of teeth or any trauma to the jaw that directly affects the eruption process.
Common Issues Resulting From Crooked Baby Teeth
Here are some common issues that result from crooked baby teeth:
Periodontal or Gum Diseases
Overcrowded teeth can make it tough to clean all areas efficiently, leading to plaque and calculus buildup in crooked baby teeth.
This buildup is the most common cause of gum and periodontal issues in children.
Dental Decay
Infant crooked teeth also pave the way for dental decay in baby teeth. The misalignment results in dental decay in both primary and permanent dentition.
Speech Issues
Teeth help with speech. Crooked baby teeth can affect speaking abilities and pose challenges with word articulation. In rare cases, they can also affect breathing or swallowing in babies.
Affects Permanent Teeth
Milk teeth preserve space for permanent teeth. Baby teeth that are crooked can result in unwanted gaps or block the space for the permanent teeth, due to which they erupt from different positions or may slip into gaps, which eventually affects the alignment in permanent dentition as well.
What to Do About Crooked Baby Teeth?
Most of the time, the teeth align with time and do not affect the permanent dentition, but with preventive care, the probability of developing infant teeth that are crooked can be reduced.
1. Monitor Thumb-Sucking and Pacifier Use
If your child uses a pacifier or sucks at their thumb frequently, try to limit the usage of the pacifier and eliminate the habit of thumb-sucking entirely. There are other therapeutic modalities available to remove the habit. Consult your dentist for the best possible solutions.
2. Practice oral hygiene:
Good oral habits are the first step toward building a healthy oral environment. Good oral hygiene helps prevent plaque or calculus buildup, which in turn prevents gum and periodontal diseases.
3. Seek treatment for mouth breathing and tongue thrusting:
These two habits alter the development of arches and result in misalignment. There are certain appliances that are specifically designed to correct these habits. Visit your dentist for a detailed consultation.
4. Regular dental visits:
Regular visits to the dental office are mandatory to ensure good oral health and prevent malalignment of teeth. Malaligned teeth resulting from decay or premature loss can be corrected and space maintainers can be given to preserve space for the permanent teeth.
5. Observe and Be Patient
The crooked baby teeth align in a normal position with time. It is important to be patient and observe the development before jumping to any conclusion. Until all teeth appear in the oral cavity, it is better to wait and observe. In case the child is missing any teeth or retains crooked teeth in the cavity, visit your dentist.
What if Crooked Baby Teeth Do Not Self-Correct?
With time, if the crooked baby teeth do not align in a normal position, a pediatric dentist can suggest interceptive orthodontics to correct the misalignment.
Common treatment modalities recommended by pediatric dentists include:
Orthodontic Treatment
Braces are recommended for developing permanent teeth. Nowadays, Invisalign is also being used to address these issues. Interceptive orthodontic treatments more commonly involve using appliances to correct the para-functional habits, correct jaw shape, or retain space for the permanent successor.
Interceptive orthodontics is concerned with early intervention for normal eruption of permanent teeth in correct alignment.Space maintainers: As mentioned above, space maintainers are removable appliances crafted to preserve space for the successor’s permanent tooth.
Conclusion
Crooked baby teeth are typically not an issue to fret over. As long as they do not interfere with a child’s speech or eating abilities, crooked milk teeth do not pose any serious risk to oral development. It is still important to maintain good oral hygiene and regularly visit your dentist for the prevention of any dental issues.
If your child is displaying maladaptive oral behaviors or is at risk of developing crooked teeth, our expert pediatric dentists at Osseo Family Dental Clinic can provide a solution. Schedule an appointment to learn more about your child’s dental needs and administer preventative care. For more information, visit our website at https://osseofamilydental.com/.