If you don’t have the smile you’d love to have, you may wonder what causes crooked teeth, gaps and misaligned jaws. For the most part, these are inherited traits just like the color of your eyes or the size of your nose. Misaligned teeth may also be caused by the premature loss of primary (baby) teeth or adult teeth. Injuries can cause misalignment of the jaws as well. Children that have oral habits such as tongue thrusting, pacifier sucking after the age of 3 years old and thumb sucking may also cause crowding or gaps in the teeth. Some people’s mouths are too small for their own teeth which causes them to shift. Other people’s jaws may be different sizes or be malformed causing either an overbite or an underbite.
These issues don’t just cause crooked or misaligned smiles, they can also interfere with chewing food properly, speaking clearly and making it difficult to maintain the teeth and gums clean and healthy. Undue strain of teeth, jaws and jaw muscles can increase the risk of more wear and tear on a tooth, eventually causing it to break.
Most people can tell if their teeth are crooked or if their bite is really misaligned. Our expert team at Weber Orthodontics in Kansas City will be able to diagnose and treat any abnormal alignment of teeth or difficulty in chewing or speaking. Usually, we will take some x-rays, photos of the face and impressions or molds of your teeth to determine what type of treatment will be needed to correct the problems.
The Kansas City Orthodontic practice of Dr. Ashlee Weber, recognize that every patient is different, and we work hard to cater to the unique needs of each patient. We offer the latest in dental braces and Invisalign, plus we treat our patients like family and will go out of our way to make them smile from the inside out!
At Weber Orthodontics, we care about your kids’ health, and want their first dental experiences to be good ones. We offer traditional, clear, and Invisalign braces. Contact our office by phone (816) 746-1200 or complete our appointment request form to schedule an appointment.