Symptoms · crooked teeth
Why are my teeth crooked?
Crooked or crowded teeth usually come down to the size of the teeth against the size of the jaw, which is largely inherited. Teeth also drift through life, so teeth that were straight once can crowd later, particularly if retainers were stopped after braces. Whether it needs treating depends on whether you can clean them and whether it bothers you.
When do crooked teeth need seeing sooner?
Go to hospital or call 000
- A jaw injury where teeth no longer meet the way they did
Call us today
- A tooth that has suddenly moved or become loose without an injury
- Teeth that have shifted along with bleeding or receding gums
- A bite that has changed noticeably over weeks rather than years
Book the next available time
- Teeth that have always been a bit crowded
- Gradual crowding of the lower front teeth over years
- Teeth that have drifted since braces years ago
Why teeth end up crooked
Mostly arithmetic. Teeth are one size and the jaw is another, and both are largely inherited, so if there is not enough room along the arch the teeth overlap to fit. That is the common story and it is nobody's fault.
Then there is drift. Teeth are not set in concrete: they sit in bone that remodels throughout life, and they move slowly under the pressure of chewing, lips and tongue. Lower front teeth crowding gradually in adulthood is extremely common, and losing a tooth without replacing it speeds the process up, because the teeth either side lean into the space.
And there is relapse, which is drift with a specific cause. Teeth straightened once and then left without retainers move back towards where they started, sometimes over years. That is not a sign the original treatment failed.
Does it actually matter?
Two questions live inside this one, and it helps to keep them apart.
The health question. Overlapping teeth create spaces a toothbrush cannot reach and floss struggles to pass, so plaque sits undisturbed in exactly the places decay and gum disease start. If your dentist keeps finding problems in the same crowded spot, that is the crowding talking. Mild crowding you can clean properly is a different situation and often needs nothing at all.
The appearance question. That one is yours, not ours, and it is legitimate on its own. What we will not do is dress up a cosmetic recommendation as a health necessity to make it easier to agree to.
Move the tooth, or cover it?
This is the decision worth understanding before anyone quotes you anything, because the two routes leave you in very different places.
Straightening moves the tooth into a better position. The tooth stays your own, nothing is bonded onto it, and the bite changes with it. Clear aligner treatment at Y3 Smiles Dental is provided by principal dentist Dr Fatima Kurnaz, a general dentist rather than a registered specialist.
Covering changes how the tooth looks without changing where it sits. For a tooth slightly out of line that can genuinely be the right answer and it is faster. For a tooth properly out of position it is disguise, and conventional veneers usually mean removing a layer of tooth to do it.
Our position is that where the complaint is position, moving the tooth is usually the better answer, because it solves the actual problem and removes nothing. How much tooth is removed explains why we weigh that so heavily.
What to do about the cleaning in the meantime
Whether or not you straighten anything, the crowded spots still need cleaning, and the usual advice does not quite work there.
Angle the brush into the overlap rather than running it along the front. Use something that goes between the teeth every day, and if floss shreds or will not pass in a particular spot, say so at your next visit rather than giving up on that gap, because a shredding spot usually means a rough edge or a cavity. Interdental brushes reach some crowded areas better than floss does, and your dentist can tell you which size fits where.
If your gums bleed where teeth overlap, that is worth acting on rather than accepting. Gum disease treatment explains why the bleeding matters and what is reversible.
Other questions people ask
Do crooked teeth cause problems, or is it just appearance?
Both can be true and they are separate questions. Overlapping teeth are harder to clean, so they collect plaque in places a brush does not reach, which raises the risk of decay and gum disease in those spots. Beyond that, a lot of mild crowding causes no harm at all. Your dentist should tell you which category yours is in rather than treating appearance as a health problem.
My teeth have moved since I had braces. Why?
Almost always because retainers stopped being worn. Teeth drift back towards their old positions throughout life, which is why retention is a long-term habit rather than a final step. It is the single most common reason adults ask about straightening a second time.
Am I too old to straighten my teeth?
No. Teeth move at any age because the bone around them remodels throughout life. Treatment can take longer in adults and the plan has to account for existing dental work and gum health, but age itself is not the barrier people expect.
Can veneers straighten teeth?
They change how teeth look, not where they sit. For a tooth slightly out of line that can be enough, and for a tooth genuinely out of position it is not, because covering it does not change the bite. The trade-off is that conventional veneers usually mean removing a layer of tooth, while straightening leaves it intact.
Will I need teeth taken out?
Some crowded cases do, so that the rest have somewhere to go, and some need a very small amount of enamel polished between teeth instead. Both should be explained to you before you agree, with the alternatives, rather than presented on the day.
Do I need a referral?
No. Come and be assessed: if aligners suit your case we can treat it here, and if the case belongs with an orthodontist you will leave knowing that and with a referral.