Hopefully, you're perfectly satisfied with your smile. But perhaps there's one aspect of your smile that looks out of place. Many people who need orthodontic treatment require alignment for multiple teeth or the entirety of their teeth, but this isn't the case for everyone. What are your options when only a single tooth is crooked?
Problems With a Single Crooked Tooth
While it's possible to leave a single crooked tooth as is, this isn't the most appropriate choice as it can jeopardise your dental health. A misaligned tooth is more difficult to clean, meaning that it can be more susceptible to decay. Additionally, a single crooked tooth affects your overall bite pattern, placing undue wear and tear on your other teeth. You should correct a single crooked tooth, and know what might have caused the problem?
Possible Causes of the Problem
A single tooth can become misaligned due to overcrowding. Your dental arch doesn't have the necessary space to accommodate all your teeth in the correct configuration, meaning that the tooth in question has been manoeuvred out of alignment. In children, thumb sucking can also be a potential cause. Whatever the reason, it's important to have the issue corrected for the sake of your long-term dental health.
Traditional Braces
Braces are the most logical solution to correct dental misalignment, although traditional orthodontic braces are too extensive in their approach. When only a single tooth requires realignment, traditional braces can simply be overkill. However, there are other types of braces that can offer a solution.
Quick Braces
You might be a candidate for quick treatment, and while these have the same general appearance as traditional braces, the required treatment time is generally halved. These braces are attached to the tooth via a bracket, which, in turn, has a wire that extends down the tooth, simultaneously repositioning both the tooth's crown and its root. This type of system can be efficient when only a single tooth is of concern.
Clear Braces
Your solution could also be transparent aligners (clear braces). These are durable thermoplastic aligner trays that are replaced every two weeks or so, with the new tray being at a slightly different configuration, ultimately repositioning the problematic tooth into alignment with its neighbours.
A single crooked tooth doesn't usually require extensive orthodontic treatment, however, it will need some form of treatment since the issue can progress and become more than a simple matter of aesthetics. Reach out to a professional and discuss different braces options.
