Can a Dentist Fix One Crooked Tooth? What You Need to Know

1 Oct 2024

Have you ever eaten with a crooked fork? It feels wrong but you don’t know why.
You will finish your meal but you know, with a straight fork, you would have enjoyed it a little bit more.
If you have had a crooked tooth your whole life, you might not notice it when you eat.
However, many of our patients feel self-conscious when it’s picture time or when they’re going to job interviews.
Luckily, Greenspoint Dental can help. Straightening your misaligned teeth will not only improve your smile and confidence, it will improve your enjoyment of food and drink as well as improve your overall health.
From traditional braces to modern options like Invisalign, or even veneers, fixing one crooked tooth can be life-changing.

Why Crooked Teeth Are Bad

Crooked teeth are not in line with the rest of your teeth. For lots of people, this can make them feel uncomfortable.
Lower confidence can create problems in the rest of your life, professionally or romantically.
There are also real health risks to think about that can cause pain and cost a lot of money in the future.
A dentist can fix these teeth, improving your confidence, enhancing dental health, and lowering the possibility of future problems or costs.

Oral Health Risks

It’s difficult to clean crooked teeth because the spaces between the teeth are not in line.
This means that your toothbrush cannot reach all the bacteria and bits of food that cause plaque and decay. Overlapping teeth can trap bacteria, making them difficult to clean and increasing the risk of dental issues such as decay and gum disease.
Using dental floss is important, but even dental floss can’t reach every space in between your teeth if they are crooked.
If the tooth isn’t cleaned properly then plaque will build up. This causes gum disease and tooth decay.
Over time, this can lead to serious illnesses and very expensive treatments like tooth removal.

Self-Esteem and Confidence

Everyone feels anxious about their smile at some point. Slightly crooked teeth can also affect self-esteem and confidence. Taking a family picture at a birthday or shaking hands with your new boss. A great smile can change everything.
From the way you sound to the way you look, studies have demonstrated that straighter smiles make you more attractive, approachable, and confident.
Why wouldn’t you want to improve your confidence by fixing a crooked tooth?
This will help remove the anxiety of possible high dental costs in the future, but also give you the freedom to smile more freely and openly.
With more confidence comes more opportunity!

Speech and Chewing Issues

Pain can be common with a misaligned tooth or crooked teeth because it can strain the bones in your face. This can cause head pain and jaw pain.
Also, if you don’t feel comfortable chewing, this can impact the way you digest food.
If you are hearing clicking sounds when you are eating or speaking, fixing a crooked tooth can remove this for you.
Crooked teeth can lead to problems speaking such as lisps (not being able to pronounce the “S” in a word) or whistling whilst talking.
Fixing a crooked tooth can make your speech better, improving your confidence when speaking in public or at work.

Orthodontic Treatment Options

Luckily there are lots of ways to help fix your tooth, reduce the risk of illness, and improve your confidence all at the same time!
Cosmetic dentists play a crucial role in providing treatments such as dental bonding, invisible braces, and traditional braces to correct crooked teeth and enhance your smile.

Traditional Braces

Traditional metal braces are a great way to fix multiple crooked teeth and give you a straight smile.
They use metal wire to connect to your other teeth which brings the crooked tooth into line.
They are very effective for both mild and severe tooth misalignment.
Treatment takes time, between 6 months to 36 months depending on your needs.
They are cost-effective but you must take special care to clean your teeth to avoid more problems in the future.

Self-Ligating Braces

A different type of brace called “self-ligating braces” is as effective as traditional metal braces but is less complicated to look after. They are commonly used to straighten crooked teeth, providing a modern solution for dental misalignments.
They use special clips (instead of the elastic bands that hold traditional braces together).
The special clips are more comfortable and often lessen the time it takes to treat you.
They are also easier to keep clean.
They can be more expensive than traditional braces.

Clear Aligners

Sometimes you can feel uncomfortable with how metal braces look and feel.
If this describes you, clear braces like Invisalign are very popular.
These are clear plastic braces that slowly move your teeth back into the right place.
Often we can complete your treatment in less than a year.
Clear braces make it very easy to clean your teeth. It also makes eating more enjoyable because you can take your braces out.
However, they need to be in your mouth for 20 – 22 hours each day to have the quickest results.

Will Crooked Teeth Straighten Out?

It is rare for one crooked tooth to straighten out on its own. Almost all cases require treatment to fix a crooked tooth. It can be difficult to make a choice.
There are important things to consider when you are choosing your perfect treatment. How serious is the problem? How do you feel about having metal braces?
A dentist who specializes in straight teeth is called an orthodontist. If you have any questions, they can help you understand more and choose the best option.

Cosmetic Dentistry Alternatives

Sometimes you may not want to wait for more than a year to fix the problem. These treatments can help you achieve a straight tooth, ensuring a quick and effective solution.
There are other options which you can consider. They are safe, reliable and quick. They are often more expensive than braces.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are thin layers of porcelain that are custom-made for your teeth.
They are glued (or bonded) to the front of your tooth. The color matches the rest of your teeth, giving you a natural, straight smile.
Treatment can be finished in 2 appointments with the dentist and is the quickest way to fix your smile.
With the correct care, porcelain veneers will last up to 20 years.
They are very good for uneven teeth, gaps in teeth, or chipped teeth.

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding will glue (or bond) special plastic, called a composite resin, to your teeth.
Your dentist will shape the composite resin into the right shape for your smile.
This can fix stains, teeth gaps and straighten your smile.
Dental bonding is best for small problems, especially for your front teeth.
They tend to last between 3 and 10 years if you care for them properly.

Enamel Contouring

Enamel is the hard white substance that makes up most of our teeth.
This treatment will correct small chips, cracks or small misalignments by removing and shaping your enamel.
It’s often painless and doesn’t require any pain medication.
It’s very good at preventing the build-up of plaque which can cause tooth decay and gum disease which are the most common causes of tooth loss.

Maintaining Your Newly Aligned Smile

Retention Methods

Retention devices make sure that your teeth stay in the right position after treatment, even if you have one crooked tooth. This is because they can sometimes move back to their original position naturally.
Dentists will normally give you a retainer to keep teeth where they need to be.
Retainers will come with instructions. If you follow the instructions and wear your retainer then your teeth will stay in the right place.
With time, you can start wearing your retainer less, eventually only wearing it at night.
Wearing your retainer in the correct way will mean your treatment lasts for a long time and you won’t need more treatment in the future.

Oral Hygiene Practices

Always brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss between your teeth every day to remove food and plaque.
This makes it less probable that you will get tooth decay and gum disease.
It also protects your braces, dental bonds, or veneers from damage, saving you time and money in the future.
Antimicrobial mouthwash kills germs like bacteria and viruses. This keeps your mouth healthy while also giving you fresh breath!

Regular Dental Check-ups

It is always better to stop a problem early than treat it later.
Frequent checkups with your dentist will help make sure your treatment is correct and your teeth are moving into the right position.
They can also check for things like decay, plaque, and even more serious problems like abscesses or mouth cancer.
If you are worried about cleaning your teeth properly while you have braces, dentists offer professional teeth cleaning too.
Try to see your dentist every 6 months to make sure you avoid any nasty surprises which can damage your health and cost a lot of money.

FAQs

What treatments are available for crooked teeth from a dentist?

Cosmetic dentists offer anything from braces to veneers to help you regain a natural and straight smile that you can be proud of.

What options exist for correcting a single crooked tooth?

Braces and clear aligners are very effective but take time. Veneers are quicker and more permanent but tend to cost more upfront.

What should I do if my teeth are too crooked for simple fixes?

We recommend braces to fix any serious problems. When fixed, you can think about professional whitening or other cosmetic treatments.

How do dentists correct misaligned teeth?

Braces are the best option, especially when you are younger as it’s easier to adjust the teeth.
However, dentists can help anyone fix their smile. Simply arrange a consultation with Greenspoint and we can provide all the options to help you find the best one.