8 Negative Effects of Having Crooked Teeth

By Dr Satish Pai on February 1, 2018 - Fact checked by Dumb Little Man

by Dr Satish Pai February 1, 2018

The way you look isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when you have crooked teeth. It can also have a lot of negative effects on your general health if you don’t get it fixed in time.

Genetic susceptibility, facial injuries, premature loss of baby teeth, and excessive use of pacifiers are just some of the things that can cause crooked teeth. For some, it’s a result of thumb sucking and tongue thrusting during childhood.

Timely orthodontic treatment can help restore crooked teeth. However, since it’s time-consuming and costly, not all people are willing to undergo it.

If you are thinking twice about getting proper treatment, check out the following negative effects of crooked teeth that can help you make up your mind.

Gum disease

This is one of the most common consequences of having crooked teeth. When the gums do not fit firmly around your teeth, they allow bacteria to grow. This condition eventually leads to plaque buildup. If left untreated, it can lead to periodontal disease.

Difficulty in Chewing Food

If you have a misaligned set of teeth, you might find it difficult to chew your food normally.

Teeth can function optimally only when they operate together and chew on each other. If you have a crooked upper or lower arch that protrudes from your jaw, normal jaw alignment is disrupted and this makes it very difficult to chew food.

Difficulty in Cleaning Teeth and Increased Risk of Injuries

It is very difficult to clean all the tiny nooks and crannies between your teeth when you have a crooked set of teeth. Despite flossing or brushing, you still won’t be able to clean the vulnerable areas between your teeth.

When your upper teeth are crooked and deviate from the arch, they are at an increased risk of trauma when you play a sport or if you meet with an accident. There is also a good chance that your teeth can get chipped or cracked.

Bad Breath

Lingering bacteria in the mouth is one of the most common reasons for bad breath. This is due to the difficulty in cleaning the space between crooked teeth.

Worn Out Tooth Enamel

Crooked teeth lead to an improper bite, which wears the tooth enamel. If you suffer from bruxism (or tooth grinding) while you sleep, your enamel will get eroded or chipped. Worse, the enamel gets so weak that it breaks.

Excessive Pain in the Gum, Teeth, and Jaw

When you have a misaligned bite, you will suffer from sore gums and the inside of your cheek may get injured. This can invite excessive pain in the jaw, gums, and teeth.

Reduces Your Confidence to Smile

Smiling lowers your stress levels and even improves your ability to think. An unimpressive smile can affect your self-esteem and lower your self-confidence.

Affects Overall Health

You may not realize the seriousness of the problem of having crooked teeth but it does affect your overall health. Studies conducted by the Australian Dental Association have proven that bacteria buildup caused by crooked teeth invites oral infections.

Those infections lead to many serious medical conditions, including heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, and pneumonia.

Cosmetic dentistry provides an easy, cost-effective, comfortable, and convenient solution to fix crooked teeth. Whether your teeth need a simple realignment or a complete transformation, it is important to plan and execute the treatment properly.

Seek the help of dental professionals. After checking your dental history, your dentist will also check the real cause of your alignment issues and will treat you accordingly.

Teeth straightening will not only improve your smile but also your overall health condition. You can try orthodontic treatment, like Invisalign, braces, and veneers. Advanced technology and dental treatments are undetectable and look so natural that your friends and colleagues wouldn’t even know that you are getting treated.

Like this Article? Subscribe to Our Feed!

Author: Dr Satish Pai

Dr. Satish Pai – an Ivy League trained dentist and a faculty at Columbia University, believes that a perfect smile not only makes a person look great but feel great while boosting confidence. As the founder of Putnam Orthodontics, he is dedicated to not only creating perfect smiles for his patients but also educating people with his engaging articles about all things related to a perfect smile and oral health. Spending