When you have teeth that overlap as an adult and you are considering braces or some type of procedure that moves the teeth around, it is considered cosmetic. Such procedures done when you are a child are not cosmetic, which is why they are often covered by dental insurance when you are younger than eighteen. However, "crowding" as an adult is accepted as a condition that has taken place because of a lack of treatment in one's childhood. Treating "crowding" as an adult then, is a cosmetic thing. Here is more on the subject of "crowding" as it relates to adult cosmetic dentistry.
Crowding
Crowding is what happens when your adult teeth come in and your baby teeth do not give the adult teeth enough room. Sometimes this leads to overlapping of the adult teeth such that the teeth fold over like two sides of a book. Sometimes the teeth cannot grow all the way in because they get stuck under the roots of other teeth close by. Sometimes there simply is not enough jaw for all of your teeth to grow in, and then the teeth come in sideways on top of each other. The chaos this creates is a smile that is devoid of a natural line of adult teeth.
Crowding as It Relates to Adult Cosmetic Dentistry
When cosmetic dentists see crowding in adult mouths, there are any number of procedures they can do to fix these issues. If the teeth are really wide and long, the dentist could file them down to help them fit. The dentist could also pull a lesser molar on each side to give the rest of the teeth room to spread out. If your mouth has enough room to accommodate all of your teeth, you could get adult braces, which you would have to wear for at least a couple of years until all of your teeth are straightened.
Finally, there may be some surgical options as well, but these are a last resort. Your cosmetic dentist will only breach these options if non of the above will help you with the crowding issues you have. Usually, the crowding issues have to be quite severe, and your jaws have to be far too small for any other solution to fix the problems. Still, if you really want to "uncrowd" your teeth and have them moved into straight lines, talk to your dentist about what can be done.
Share15 March 2017
After dealing with a few root canals, I realized that it was time to take my dental hygiene a more seriously. I talked with my dentist about what I could do differently, and he was full of great suggestions that would help. He walked me through different ways to brush, floss, and take care of tartar buildup, and it was really amazing to see the difference that it made. I also started taking a fluoride supplement to strengthen my enamel. When I made it to my next appointment, my dentist was blown away with the improvement. This blog is all about improving your dental appointments by keeping your teeth healthier.
