A radiant smile involves having a healthy set of straight teeth and feeling confident to show them. Ensuring that your teeth are in good condition can benefit your health in various ways. It’s now known that poor oral hygiene can cause inflammation – that sets off a cascade of vascular damage throughout the body, including the heart and brain.
Misaligned teeth can impact this, with reports showing that 43% of people deal with this. It is a common dental issue, so knowing the likely causes is vital to help you promptly deal with them. Read on for some insight into the possible causes.
Genetics
It would surprise you that your smile may have everything to do with your genetic inheritance, otherwise known as DNA. A family history of dental misalignment could mean your risk of developing them is higher, or even among your unborn children. If your biological parents or grandparents had misaligned teeth, that could influence your jaw size, tooth size, and other factors that put you at a higher chance of living with the same oral condition.
This may not present early in children with a family history of misaligned dentition. However, it may arise when permanent dentition replaces milk teeth. Thankfully, an early orthodontic appointment can help resolve the issue. The more you know about your family’s genetic predisposition to misaligned teeth, the better-informed decisions you will make about your oral health.
Habits and lifestyle choices
Various habits and lifestyle choices could significantly impact your teeth’s arrangement. While some of these habits may be obvious, other subtle ones, like thumb-sucking and prolonged pacifier use, can disrupt the natural growth and positioning of the teeth later in life. As a grown adult, the ship has sailed on this, however, its not too late if you have young children. The solution is to be attentive to your child’s thumb-sucking habits and pacifier overuse. If possible, consult a dentist early to avoid it becoming a major issue.
Another lifestyle choice is improper oral care. Irregular brushing and flossing can cause misalignment of your teeth. According to science, plaque buildup can affect several roots of your teeth and result in extractions if left untreated. Meanwhile, the gap created by an extracted tooth causes the surrounding dentition to shift, resulting in a deviation from the natural arrangement of your teeth.
Also, failure to wear retainers after orthodontic treatment can reverse progress. This is another likely reason for dental misalignment. With this background, you should proactively take better care of your teeth.
Failure to attend to early dental issues
Research has shown that many dental issues begin early in life and set the stage for misaligned teeth. Conditions like missing teeth, an extra tooth, or overcrowded dentition do not remain as they were in childhood. As you grow, your teeth undergo some changes, and such dental conditions increase the risks of misalignment. Fortunately, early pediatric dentist intervention can stop these developments later in life. They can make a substantial difference in your quest to always have a radiant smile. Make it a point to be proactive about early dental issues instead of overlooking or ignoring them. As a parent, you must also ensure that your child’s dentition in their formative years is in excellent condition. That sets the foundation for natural and healthier teeth growth into adulthood.
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