Why Are Teeth Crooked?
Have you ever wondered why some people have crooked teeth? I was one of those unlucky customers. I ignored it mostly so I didn’t get braces until my mid twenties. Thankfully I didn’t have major problems, it was mostly for aesthetics.
But why were they crooked in the first place? People fork out thousands of dollars to have straight and perfect teeth. Well, you might’ve heard that it’s due to crowding of the teeth within the jaw and gums. And you’d be right. If there’s not enough room for all your teeth, they’re going to be pushed around into awkward positions as you grow, thus making them crooked. It’s a very simple answer; we can put a fullstop here.
There’s more to it though.
We can ask, ‘well why are they crowded in the first place? How do so many people have this problem? Do some people have more teeth than others?’
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First let’s debunk the last question: humans as a species typically have 20 baby teeth, and they fall out to give way to 32 adult teeth. That’s considered the norm as far as dentists are concerned, but some people can vary away from that and have less teeth or indeed more teeth. So yes, some people have more than others, but it’s considered unusual. Thing is, even with the normal set of teeth, many people still have crowding issues. So what is it then?
My friend, it’s the tried and true answer of genetics. The size and shape of your teeth, the number of teeth you end up with, the size and shape of your jaw, whether or not you have wisdoms, etc. All of that is predetermined in your DNA. If you happen to have a jaw that is too small for the amount of teeth you have, whether that’s 32 adult teeth or some other number, then you’re probably looking at dental work to fix them if they become a problem.
Is there anything you can do about it? No, except for dental or orthodontic work such as braces, Invisalign, removal of teeth or veneers. What you require depends on your teeth and jaw.
For some it’s purely aesthetics to have them fixed for a straight and snappy smile. For others, like myself, sometimes crooked teeth also cause issues such as difficulty cleaning, difficulty chewing, or accelerated wear on the teeth. Genetic lottery, everyone is different. But you can mostly look to your parents; if they have crooked teeth, you probably do too.
Originally published at http://haveyoueverwondered123.wordpress.com on February 20, 2022.
