I wonder if the Mona Lisa would have achieved such an artistic success if, in place of her imperceptible and enigmatic smile, she had been portrayed with crooked teeth ...
Aesthetic discomfort
Crooked teeth are a considerable aesthetic discomfort that torments many people, so much so that they also have negative repercussions on interpersonal relationships. In addition to spoiling the smile and precipitating self-esteem, crooked teeth can also interfere with correct chewing and transform the appointment with daily oral hygiene into an extremely arduous and problematic task.
You know, a smile that shows off (so to speak) crooked teeth is far from the ideal of harmony and balance (a reality that only a few, fortunate, chosen ones can enjoy). As often happens, Mother Nature is not always so generous: straight teeth, regular, perfectly aligned and - why not - even whites are aesthetic standards as coveted as they are appreciated by all. Conversely, crooked, yellow, chipped or broken teeth - which upset the aesthetics of the smile - inevitably attract the looks of others as soon as they open their mouth, giving rise to an idea of disgust and poor oral hygiene.
The good news? Fortunately, crooked and disharmonious teeth can be aligned with some specific, more or less invasive orthodontic interventions: among these, the choice of the most suitable treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the age of the patient.
Causes
The origin of crooked teeth can be linked to genetic factors or, as often happens, to incorrect behavioral attitudes (especially during childhood). Let's see what are the most frequent causes of crooked teeth:
- Crowding and poorly positioned teeth
- Dental malocclusion linked to genetic factors
- Early loss of baby milk teeth
- Teeth fall in the adult
- Poor dental fillings
- Imperfect dental encapsulation
- Jaw size too small
- Chronic gingivitis / pyorrhea
- Bruxism
- Tumors of the mouth and jaw
- Incorrect infantile attitudes: habit of sucking thumb or pacifier, habit of drinking with a bottle after 3 years, pushing the tongue against the teeth
Consequences
Crooked teeth do not only negatively affect self-esteem and smile aesthetics. In fact, keeping teeth health under control is necessary (and indispensable) to avoid chewing problems, dental disorders and so on.
What are the most common effects caused by crooked teeth?
- Chewing problems → negative effect also on food digestion
- Difficulty in cleaning the teeth thoroughly → accumulation of plaque and calculus → increased risk of tooth decay, gingivitis, pyorrhea, tooth fall
- Brittle teeth → increased risk of breakage
- Alterations of the harmony of the face
- Language difficulties (rare)
- Difficulty closing the lips properly → the subject tends to breathe through the mouth
- Facial pains, postural defects, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and headache (symptoms generated by severe dental malocclusion)
Diagnosis and therapies
There is nothing easier and more immediate than diagnosing crooked teeth: just smile.
Clearly, it is then up to the dentist to establish the extent of the dental damage and the seriousness of the misalignment, therefore to act accordingly.
Orthodontic appliances are the most effective (and most widely used) remedy for aligning crooked teeth of children and young people. Today, with the improvement of orthodontic techniques, it is possible to "wear" a latest-generation device that fits perfectly on crooked teeth, clearly improving alignment over a few months / years.
Modern orthodontic appliances seem to be the ideal panacea for crooked teeth. But that is not all. If until a few years ago these devices were considered real infernal torture tools, blamed for making even more of a smile already ruined by crooked teeth, today they seem to have become of great tendency even in the adult world. This is because we tried to combine the therapeutic effect of the appliances (which is also extremely effective against crooked teeth) to a shape that is as pleasant as possible.
To remedy crooked teeth, there are numerous models of orthodontic appliances, divided into two macro-categories:
- Fixed fixtures: consisting of small metal attachments glued to each tooth, bonded to each other by means of a metal arch that runs through all the plaques, perfectly following the dental arch. The "pulling" action of the appliance allows the crooked teeth to be aligned after one or two years. To make them less visible, modern anti-tooth-crooked devices are made up of clear-transparent plates, much less showy than the previous ones.
Other modern devices for crooked teeth have been designed to be completely hidden: in fact, the metal plates are cemented onto the inner face of the tooth.
- Mobile appliances: these are transparent Plexiglas appliances to be applied on the dental arches. To exploit the maximum therapeutic efficacy, therefore to align crooked teeth within the shortest possible time, mobile devices should be carried for 20 hours a day (they should be removed only during meals).
Whether fixed or mobile, it matters little: the dental device is always designed to align crooked teeth, improve chewing and promote adequate dental hygiene.
In some cases, for example if dental crowding depends on a narrow palate, the extraction of some teeth (in general, 2 molars of the lower arch and as many of the upper one) can be an effective alternative to straighten crooked teeth .
Only in extreme cases (particularly severe dental malocclusion), the patient will have to undergo invasive surgical treatments aimed at reshaping, lengthening or shortening the jaw. The surgery is clearly the last resort, indicated to align the crooked teeth responsible for serious damage to the patient's health.
