Why Are My Child’s Teeth Crooked?
April 27, 2022 2:07 amWouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone were born with teeth that came in perfectly straight and stayed that way for the rest of their life? Unfortunately, this is not the case.
You are likely keeping a close eye on what’s happening with your child’s smile, particularly if you dealt with crooked teeth in your youth or currently have misaligned teeth as an adult. Have you noticed that your child’s teeth are already coming in crooked? If so, there may be a few contributing factors.
Genetics
Many patients have crooked teeth because of heredity. For example, a child could inherit one parent’s large teeth but the smaller jaw size of their other parent. This would cause some spacing issues! Crowding, jaw size, and misaligned bites can all have genetic components.
Premature Loss of Baby Teeth
Don’t overlook the importance of baby teeth! Baby teeth will fall out eventually but when exactly they fall out can affect how a child’s permanent teeth come in. Temporary baby teeth are like placeholders, helping to guide the adult teeth into the right positions. If a child loses some of their baby teeth too early due to decay, an injury, or something else, it can cause the permanent tooth to erupt at the wrong angle or spot.
A Stubborn Baby Tooth
If your child has a baby tooth that does not ever fall out on its own, it can disrupt the growth of the underlying adult tooth trying to erupt, lead to misalignment.
Prolonged Finger Sucking or Tongue Thrust
Sucking on a thumb, the fingers, or a pacifier can be comforting for a baby. But if this habit continues beyond age 3 or 4, it can cause issues with their teeth alignment. Likewise, if a child’s tongue thrust reflex continues beyond babyhood, it can cause an open bite, where there is a gap between the top and bottom teeth even when the back teeth are closed.
Schedule an Orthodontic Consultation for Your Child!
If it looks like your child’s teeth are coming in crooked and you want to see what their treatment options are, contact us at Safari Children’s Dentistry & Braces. At our San Antonio dental practice, we provide a variety of orthodontic interventions, including space maintainers, early intervention orthodontics, metal braces, and Invisalign. We look forward to hearing from you!
