Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
Many people have an issue with crowded teeth caused by a lack of space in the mouth. Teeth can shift and turn to try to make room for other teeth, creating a crowding problem. It’s a common problem that orthodontists see, especially in bottom teeth.
People with crowded teeth — especially adults — are not thrilled with the prospect of wearing traditional metal braces to correct the misalignment of teeth. After all, the metal brackets and wires in traditional braces rub and poke the insides of mouths and require adjustments that leave the mouth sore for days, causing discomfort especially while eating.
So can anything besides traditional metal braces help correct crowded teeth? Our Okemos dentists that specialize in cosmetic dentistry and orthopedics discuss that very topic on the blog today.
Causes of crowded teeth
Perhaps someone was born with a jaw that’s too small to fit all the teeth as they come through, or maybe the teeth are too large to fit properly in the jaw. A person’s palate can cause crowded teeth, and some people even have more teeth than they’re supposed to! And sometimes when a tooth is missing, other neighboring teeth begin to shift and move to fill the open space.
Sometimes overcrowding is caused by hereditary issues. It can also be caused by a child using a pacifier for too long. Later in life, the wisdom teeth erupting can cause tooth shifting and crowding.
So how can it be corrected?
Veneers
In mild cases of crowded teeth, our cosmetic dental specialists in Lansing can correct the issue with veneers. Dental veneers can be porcelain or composite resin that adhere to the front of the tooth and match neighboring teeth in color and size.
Orthodontics
Once people have reached their teens and most (if not all) permanent teeth are in, braces can be used to fix crowded teeth. But more than 1 million people have now chosen Invisalign over traditional metal braces to correct crowded teeth.
Invisalign
Invisalign is an effective treatment that straightens teeth with noninvasive, customized, clear aligner trays to pull teeth into their proper position in half the time of traditional metal braces. The trays — which must be worn about 22 hours a day — can be removed for eating and brushing/flossing. They are traded every two weeks for new, smaller trays.
Smile makeovers in East Lansing and Okemos
Do you have crooked or overcrowded teeth you’d like to straighten? Our team at Tenaglia Smiles would love to speak with you! Call us today for a consultation: (517) 940-8684.