Both cosmetic and dental health concerns, crooked teeth can lead to more complex oral health issues. Straight teeth can improve a patient’s confidence while restoring the health and function of their smile and preventing further oral health complications. While many adult patients think it is too late to straighten their crooked teeth, they can benefit from straightening them at any age.
Dr. Fabrizio Dall’Olmo offers Invisalign® clear braces as a discreet option for straightening crooked teeth. A highly trained dentist with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Dall’Olmo helps patients maintain and restore their teeth and gums. Dr. Dall’Olmo provides personalized restorative dentistry tailored to the unique needs and concerns of the individual patient. He has built a patient-focused dentist office that builds positive dentist-patient relationships founded on honest and open communication.
What Causes Crooked Teeth
Many different things can cause you to have crooked teeth. Genetics plays a strong role in determining if you have crooked teeth. Your family may have small jaws or teeth that run bigger than normal. This causes teeth to become crowded and cramped. If you notice that your parents have crooked teeth, there’s a good chance you will too. However, genetics interact with other factors, making things unique for every individual.
Your childhood habits can have a big impact on your oral development. Prolonged habits like sucking on a thumb or pacifier can shift the developing teeth and jawbone. Even if it’s during childhood, it impacts how your permanent teeth come in. When a child consistently breathes through their mouth instead of their nose, even that can impact jaw development. When the upper jaw forms, it’s narrower.
Our modern diet has more influence on us than we may realize. Nutritional deficiencies impact bone development and tooth eruption. Getting enough Vitamin D and calcium is essential while your mouth is developing. The prevalence of processed foods and softer diets impacts how your jawbone develops. You need to consume some tougher, harder-to-chew foods to stimulate the jawbone.
The Importance of Realigning Crooked Teeth
Many people think crooked teeth are just a cosmetic issue, but that’s not true. Typically, patients come to us worried about the looks of their smiles. They cause low self-esteem and social anxiety, making people reluctant to show off their smiles. But crooked teeth can go hand in hand with many oral health problems. When we treat crooked teeth, we treat the root cause and ensure the aesthetics of your smile are the way you want.
Crooked teeth are a lot harder to clean than straight ones. They create tight spaces and strange overlaps in your smile. It can be hard to brush them or floss them. Even our specialized dental tools may not be able to clean your crooked teeth properly. Even if you diligently care for your oral health, you may still be at high risk for tooth decay and gum disease.
Crooked teeth also create an uneven bite. When your bite comes together, the pressure of it distributes throughout all of your teeth equally. But when uneven, some teeth take on more pressure than others. These teeth are likelier to wear down quickly and experience chips and cracks. They’re more likely to need restorative dentistry to ensure their smile stays healthy and functional.
Uneven bites are one of the main contributors to TMJ disorders. When your bite is uneven, your jaw doesn’t track smoothly like it should. The jaw joint starts to break down over time. The muscles and ligaments that help with movement become tense and strained. The condition continues to become worse with time. You experience jaw popping and clicking, pain throughout the face and head, and problems with jaw function.
All of these things can happen solely due to not treating crooked teeth.
Straighten Teeth With Invisalign®
Invisalign® clear braces are an effective and discreet treatment option for straightening crooked teeth. Invisalign is a custom-designed series of clear aligners used in phases to gradually realign teeth. You change the aligners once every two weeks to keep the teeth moving into alignment. On average, completing Invisalign treatment takes around 9-12 months. The time it takes for you depends on your specific situation.
To start Invisalign treatment, we start with a consultation. We do a thorough examination and talk to you about your cosmetic goals and budget. Invisalign treatment is best suited for patients with mild to moderate orthodontic concerns. We may refer you to a trusted orthodontist if you have more severe alignment issues.
If we move forward with treatment, we’ll take impressions of your teeth that will be used to create your aligners. We’ll monitor your treatment to ensure everything is progressing the way it should. You get a timeline at the start of your treatment to know what to expect.
Areas We Serve
If you have crooked teeth and want to learn more about how Invisalign can straighten your teeth for improved oral health, contact our Santa Monica dentist office. Dr. Dall’Olmo is a Santa Monica, CA periodontist that welcomes new and returning patients to our Santa Monica, CA dentist office. We invite patients of all ages from Venice, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, and surrounding communities to see the difference quality and conservative dentistry can make.
Our dental care team is highly trained and provides personalized dental care to all our patients. To schedule your consultation, contact our Santa Monica, CA dentist office, or request an appointment online.