Tucson Crooked Teeth Dentist

Straighten your teeth for a healthier, more confident smile.

Worried about crooked teeth?

Crooked teeth can diminish your confidence and have a negative impact on your oral health. Luckily, there are many teeth straightening options that can give you the smile you want. Whether you need orthodontic treatment or a minor cosmetic revision, we can make the process of straightening your teeth as easy as possible.

When it comes to crooked teeth, it is necessary to check just how severe the misalignment is. We do this by taking X-rays, visually examining the teeth, and evaluating digital models captured by our intra-oral scanner.

If you aren’t happy with your smile, it can affect your quality of life. Skyline Dental can help. We can correct crooked teeth using cosmetic or orthodontic procedures depending on your specific case.

Why are my teeth crooked?

You may be wondering why your teeth are crooked. The answer varies depending on the cause, but there are a few common factors.

Genetics—

You inherited your teeth from your parents, so if they have crooked or crowded teeth, you’re likely to develop similar issues as an adult. This is mainly the result of underdeveloped jaws that don’t allow space for the teeth to erupt into alignment.

Childhood habits and dental disease—

Thumb sucking or mouth breathing can alter the development of your jaw and how teeth erupt. Losing baby teeth early due to cavities or trauma can also affect how adult teeth erupt. Early intervention by an orthodontist or pediatric dentist for space creation or space maintenance can prevent issues.

Lack of retention —

Even perfectly aligned teeth if not retained will drift over time. This is typically the result of chewing forces that put minor orthodontic pressures on your teeth and cause them to shift over time. The more misaligned your teeth are to start, the more imbalanced the chewing pressures will be on individual teeth, accelerating the problem.

When do crooked teeth become a problem?

Your teeth could be affecting your overall health. Crooked teeth affect the way people eat and speak, which can cause problems with their jaw alignment and the way they chew food. If you have crooked teeth or misaligned teeth, the following issue may also be present:

ETooth wear and fracture
EHigher tendency for tooth staining
EDifficulty cleaning teeth (both brushing and flossing)
ETMJ disease, including jaw popping and muscle pain
EUnstable bite and tendency to clench and grind
EGum disease and cavities

I need my teeth straightened, but don’t want braces.. What other options do I have?

If you have crooked teeth and would like to fix them, you are not alone. Many people feel the same way. In fact, over 800,000 Americans undergo orthodontic treatment every year! That’s a lot of people—and many of them are adults who would prefer not to wear metal braces.

This is where the two options of clear aligners and clear braces can help. A clear aligner is a set of custom-made plastic trays that gently straighten your teeth over time by moving them in small increments—which is why they’re called “invisible braces.” For more severe cases that need a lot of tooth movement, clear brackets with white wires are a more visually acceptable alternative for most adults.

How long will it take to straighten my crooked teeth?

It depends on how severe the problem is. The longer it takes to straighten your teeth, the more likely you are to need braces. For example, if you just have a few crooked teeth and only want them straightened for cosmetic reasons, this would be an easier case for the dentist and could be completed in 6-8 months.

However, if your case is more severe (for example, your bite is off and some of your teeth don’t line up correctly) then it might take more than 1 year before all of your crooked teeth are corrected. If this is something that concerns you at all, make sure to discuss it during your initial consultation at Skyline Dental.

Treatments for Crooked Teeth?

The best straightening method for you will vary depending on how the crookedness of your teeth affects function and aesthetics. Orthodontic issues can make it harder to brush and floss properly and can lead to other oral health issues. Based on our assessment, we will recommend which method(s) will best fit your needs. Some of the processes we can use to straighten your smile: