Have you started hiding your smile recently? You’re not alone. Over 50% of Americans feel self-conscious about their teeth.
If you have crooked lower teeth, don’t worry. There are multiple dental procedures that can help you get perfect bottom teeth. Teeth straightening can boost your self-confidence and improve your oral health.
Read on to learn more about straightening your crooked bottom teeth today!
Causes
Before you straighten your teeth with orthodontic treatment, it’s important to consider why your teeth are crooked. Some lifestyle factors could cause your teeth to shift in the future. Making changes to your routine now can help you maintain your smile after teeth straightening treatment.
However, there are also developmental factors that can impact the alignment of your bottom teeth. For example:
- Having a smaller mouth
- Losing adult teeth
- Inherited traits
- Improper dental care
- Gum disease
- Thumb sucking/prolonged pacifier use
- Having a narrow lower jaw
- Upper and lower jaws not aligning
- Overcrowding
Your teeth could also become crooked as you grow older. Your teeth will shift naturally with time. How fast and how much your teeth shift will depend on your oral health.
For example, tooth decay, injuries, or preexisting medical conditions could cause shifting.
Even with teeth straightening dental procedures, teeth can continue to shift over time. Before beginning treatment, talk to your Bellevue Dentist. They can help you make adjustments to your oral health routine to minimize future shifting.
Reasons to Seek Help
Some patients avoid seeking treatment to straighten their crooked bottom teeth. Neglecting treatment, however, could lead to problems in the future.
Low Self-Esteem
For example, having crooked lower teeth can affect your self-confidence. You might feel less inclined to take risks in social settings. You might not go after a promotion at work or ask someone out on a date.
Low self-confidence can affect your happiness and quality of life.
Teeth straightening procedures can improve your appearance and self-esteem. You’ll smile more often, which can make you appear approachable. Smiling will also boost serotonin production (the feel-good hormone that can uplift your mood).
Cleaner Teeth
Crooked teeth are also more difficult to clean. If you’re not thoroughly brushing and flossing, bacteria and food particles will linger.
Food particles, saliva, and bacteria can mix together to form plaque. Plaque can harden into tartar and release acid. Your risk of tooth decay or gum disease will increase.
Gum disease can progress to its advanced stage, periodontitis. Periodontitis can increase your risk of respiratory disease, diabetes, and heart disease.
Excessive Wear
Misaligned teeth can lead to excessive wear and tear on your gums, teeth, and jaw. Once you wear down your protective tooth enamel, you can’t get it back. Your tooth enamel protects you from tooth decay.
As your teeth wear down, they could crack, leading to other complications.
You could experience jaw strain and develop headaches, too.
It’s also more difficult to chew when your teeth aren’t aligned. If you don’t chew food thoroughly, your digestive system will have to work harder. You might experience digestive issues or pain when chewing.
If these problems sound familiar, talk to your dentist. You can straighten your teeth to improve your oral health and quality of life.
Treatment Options
Schedule a consultation appointment at your local dentist’s office to discuss your crooked bottom teeth. After an assessment, they can make recommendations based on your needs. Here are a few dental procedures that can help straighten your crooked lower teeth.
Traditional Braces
When most people think of teeth straightening procedures, they picture traditional metal braces. Metal braces use brackets and wires to bring your teeth into alignment. Braces are an ideal treatment option if you have extensive alignment issues.
They can help address most orthodontic problems.
You can’t remove your braces during treatment. As a result, you might have to remove certain foods from your diet. With alternative treatment options, you don’t have to avoid certain foods.
You’ll need to schedule follow-up appointments at your dentist’s office throughout the duration of your treatment. During these appointments, your dentist might tighten your braces.
Let your dentist know if your braces sustain damage. Seek treatment right away. Otherwise, the wire or brackets could damage your gums.
Clear Aligners
Clear dental aligners are ideal for older patients who prefer a more discrete option than braces. The aligners are made from clear plastic. Your friends, family members, and coworkers won’t notice you’re wearing your aligners.
You’ll receive a new pair of aligners every one or two weeks. Each pair will draw your teeth and jaw into proper alignment.
You can remove your aligners to brush, floss, and eat. Eating while wearing your aligners could cause staining or damage.
However, you need to wear your aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day. Neglecting to wear your aligners could delay the treatment process. You might have to continue wearing your aligners longer than expected.
The duration of your treatment plan will vary based on the severity of your orthodontic needs. Schedule an appointment with your dentist to determine if you’re an ideal candidate for treatment.
Oral Surgery
In some cases, your dentist might recommend oral surgery to fix your crooked lower teeth.
A dentist will usually recommend surgery if they need to reposition the bones and gums holding your teeth into place. Surgery will move your lower jawbone to ensure it’s aligned with your teeth. The procedure can correct any chewing, speaking, or biting issues you’re experiencing.
There are three types of lower jaw surgeries:
- Bilateral sagittal split osteotomy
- Intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy
- Chin genioplasty
Your dentist can determine which surgery best suits your needs after a visual exam.
Get Perfect Bottom Teeth Today
If you have crooked lower teeth, don’t hesitate to visit your dentist. They can recommend dental procedures based on your needs. With their help, you can get and maintain perfect bottom teeth.
After you straighten your teeth, you can start showing off your beautiful new smile with confidence.
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