Crowding of the Teeth
Crowding is a lack of room for all your teeth to fit normally within the jaws, leaving them twisted or displaced. It happens when the tooth-to-jaw size relationship is off or the teeth are simply larger than the available space. Improper eruption and the early or late loss of baby teeth can contribute too. To talk through crowding and spacing in your case, reach out and schedule an appointment.
Crowding should be corrected because it can:
- make it hard to clean every surface of your teeth
- lead to decay
- raise the risk of gum disease
- prevent proper functioning of the teeth
- make your smile less attractive
How can crowding be corrected?
We can create room by expanding the arches or removing teeth. Once there’s space, braces eliminate the crowding and align the teeth. Correcting crowding also makes plaque easier to remove, which helps prevent decay and gum disease.
Spacing of the Teeth
Spacing, the opposite of crowding, is too much room, which leaves gaps between your teeth. It usually happens when the teeth are smaller than the available space, and it can also come from protrusive teeth, missing teeth, impacted teeth, or unusual gum tissue attachments.
Spacing should be corrected because it can:
- lead to gum problems where teeth don’t protect the tissue
- prevent proper functioning of the teeth
- make your smile less attractive
How can spacing be corrected?
We close the gaps by moving the teeth together and aligning them properly within the arch.