Straightening Out Twisted Teeth: Your Treatment Options
Having a straight and perfectly aligned smile is a sure way to experience great dental health. Unfortunately, not everyone can be born with a straight smile. That's why our Memphis dental care center offers a wide array of cosmetic dentistry treatments and advanced dental care procedures to address crooked teeth and various forms of malocclusion.
Twisted teeth can lead to plenty of problems, and we don't just mean a negative impact on the appearance of your smile. Let's cover some of the basics and then consider some common options for treatment.
Problems Caused by Twisted Teeth
If you have a twisted tooth or multiple twisted teeth, they can cause a number of cosmetic and general health issues.
When it comes to aesthetic problems, twisted teeth can lead you to feel self-conscious about laughing, speaking, and smiling, even around people you have known for many years. If you are in a profession that involves a lot of interaction with the public, twisted and crooked teeth can have a negative impact on your job performance.
When it comes to your dental health, twisted teeth can make it uncomfortable or even painful to bite and chew. This makes eating certain foods extremely difficult. Twisted teeth can also lead to teeth grinding (bruxism), which can then lead to tooth fractures, gum recession,
Treating Twisted Teeth with Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry
When teeth are only slightly twisted, they can be treated using cosmetic or restorative dentistry procedures. A porcelain veneer can be used to mask a problem tooth from view, making it appear perfectly straight. In other cases, a porcelain dental crown may be used to reshape and cap a twisted tooth and make it appear perfectly aligned.
These options are only recommended when the twist is purely aesthetic in nature and does not impact dental health.
Orthodontic Care for Twisted Teeth
For most people who suffer from a twisted tooth, the ideal treatment option is orthodontic care. Braces, palatal expanders, headgear, and other kinds of appliances can be used to improve the shape and alignment of the smile. Orthodontic care involves the careful application of force and pressure to adjust the position of the structures of the mouth.
While great results can be achieved through adult orthodontic care, it's ideal to undergo orthodontic treatment at an early age. Young patients are still maturing, which makes the structures of their mouth easier to adjust. As a result, orthodontic care in minors tends to go by faster and with less discomfort.
Oral Surgery and Advanced Dental Procedures
When issues with twisting teeth are severe and cannot be addressed through orthodontics alone, more advanced approaches must be considered. This typically means oral surgery. Dental surgery will involve reshaping and repositioning various structures of the mouth, and perhaps even tooth extraction if necessary.
Following oral surgery, patients typically undergo orthodontic care for fine adjustments and ensure proper dental alignment. The exact nature of the advanced treatment will vary from patient to patient depending on their needs.
Contact Southern Dental Implant Center
For more information about treating twisted teeth, be sure to contact our advanced dental care center today. We look forward to your visit and discussing these matters in much greater detail so you can smile with confidence and improved health.
