What Are The Treatment Options for Dental Crowding?

Crowded or overlapping teeth is one of the primary reasons that children, teens and adults seek orthodontic care. When there is not enough room in the mouth for teeth to properly align, they can become pushed out of position, crooked, and crowded. Dental crowding not only affects the appearance of your smile, but can also make brushing, eating, and speaking more difficult.

Modern orthodontics mean that it is possible to effectively treat dental crowding at any age.

What causes dental crowding?

Dental crowding is a type of malocclusion, primarily caused by a lack of space in the mouth to support new, emerging teeth. When there is not enough space to support new teeth coming through, it can force new and existing teeth to become misaligned, twisted, and crowded. New teeth can also emerge abnormally due to the shape of the jaw, or thumb sucking as a child.

• Dental crowding can be caused by:

• Genetic and hereditary causes

• Early loss of baby teeth

• Misalignment of the jaw

• Frequent thumb sucking or incorrect tongue posture (e.g pushing the tongue against the back of teeth)

• Damaged or lost teeth due to an accident or injury

• A cleft lip or palate

Crooked smile

Dental crowding in the front teeth will affect the appearance of your smile. The front teeth play a big role in shaping your smile and lip position - misalignments due to dental crowding can result in an uneven smile and imbalances in your lip position.

Difficulty eating or speaking

Dental crowding can create an uneven bite, making it difficult to eat and speak. Food particles can also easily become stuck between misaligned teeth, increasing the risk of plaque buildup and tooth decay. Teeth that are crowded can also be difficult to keep clean despite good oral hygiene habits, as overlapped surfaces might not be easily accessible to be cleaned with a toothbrush or floss.

Issues that can result from dental crowding

Orthodontic treatment can correct dental crowding. An orthodontist specialises in diagnosing crowding and creates a treatment plan to correct your misaligned teeth using a range of treatment options that are personalised to give you the best smile outcome. In severe cases, teeth may need to be removed to make space for your teeth to fit ideally in your smile and bite and to ensure ultimate health and function.

Clear aligners

Clear aligners, such as Invisalign, are custom-made trays designed to gradually straighten teeth into place. Clear aligners are worn directly over the row of teeth and have a transparent appearance that is almost invisible. This makes clear aligners ideal for patients of all ages seeking a discreet treatment option for dental crowding. However, aligners may not be ideal in all cases, and your suitability for clear aligner treatment is best determined by an experienced specialist orthodontist.

Traditional/metal braces

Metal braces are an effective option for treating dental crowding. Traditional braces apply gentle, consistent pressure to move teeth into alignment. While more visible than clear aligners or lingual braces, traditional braces can be used to treat a wide variety of complex dental crowding issues.

Clear braces provide the same effective treatment as traditional braces but with the added benefit of being less visible. Clear braces involve bonding ceramic brackets to the surface of the teeth with a discreet translucent appearance.

Lingual braces

Lingual braces are attached to the back of the teeth and work the same way as traditional braces. Lingual braces are not visible from the front, but require more care and maintenance to prevent food particles from causing plaque and bacterial buildup.

Dental crowding treatment options

At Glow Orthodontics, we provide specialised treatment to address dental crowding in children, teenagers, and adults. Our clear aligner treatments in Sydney are suitable for those looking for a discreet treatment option for dental crowding. For those with more complex dental crowding conditions, we also offer traditional braces and lingual braces at our Burwood orthodontic clinic.