Crooked teeth and gaps: your options
Crowding and gaps are extremely common, and plenty of people live with them happily. Whether treatment is worthwhile depends on how much it bothers you and whether it is affecting your dental health.
Why teeth end up crooked
Usually a combination rather than one cause:
- Jaw size relative to tooth size — largely inherited
- Baby teeth lost too early, allowing neighbouring teeth to drift
- Prolonged thumb sucking or mouth breathing in childhood
- Teeth drifting after an adult tooth is lost and not replaced
- Natural shifting with age, particularly the lower front teeth
- Relapse after previous orthodontic treatment when retainers were stopped
When it is worth treating, and when it is not
There are two honest reasons to straighten teeth: appearance, and dental health. Crowded teeth are harder to clean and more prone to decay and gum problems. A bite that does not meet correctly can wear teeth unevenly or strain the jaw joint.
If your teeth are mildly irregular, clean easily and do not bother you, there is no dental obligation to treat them. We will say so rather than manufacture a reason.
Gaps between the front teeth
A midline gap can be from tooth size relative to the jaw, a prominent band of tissue between the front teeth, or teeth that have drifted. Closing it may be orthodontic, or in small cases cosmetic. Which is appropriate depends on the cause — closing a gap cosmetically without addressing why it is there can lead to it reopening.
When to be seen, and how soon
This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. If you are unsure, message us and describe what is happening.
- Teeth that have started shifting noticeably as an adult
- A bite that has changed, or teeth that no longer meet as they did
- Teeth wearing visibly against each other
- Crowding so tight that you cannot clean between certain teeth
- Long-standing mild crowding that you keep clean easily
- A gap you would like closed for appearance
- A child around age seven due a first orthodontic assessment
What you can do meanwhile
Alignment does not improve on its own, but you can protect what you have:
- Clean carefully between crowded teeth with interdental brushes or floss
- If you had braces before and stopped wearing retainers, expect some relapse — this is the single most common reason adults seek treatment again
- Avoid mail-order aligner kits that skip an in-person examination and X-rays
- Treat gum problems before straightening; moving teeth with active gum disease can worsen it
How we treat it
Which of these applies depends on the cause, which an examination confirms:
- Invisalign and braces — clear aligners, metal or ceramic braces
- Smile makeover — when the concern is mainly cosmetic
- Children’s dentistry — first orthodontic assessment for a child
Common questions
Am I too old for braces or aligners?
No. Teeth move at any age provided the gums and supporting bone are healthy. A large share of aligner patients are adults, many of them treating relapse after childhood braces.
Is straightening only cosmetic?
Not always. Crowded teeth are harder to clean and more prone to decay and gum disease, and an uneven bite can wear teeth. But if your teeth are easy to clean and do not bother you, there may be no health reason to treat them.
What about mail-order aligners?
They skip the in-person examination and X-rays that identify gum disease, decay or root problems before teeth are moved. Moving teeth without that assessment carries real risk.
Will my teeth move back afterwards?
They will if retainers are not worn. Retention is a permanent part of orthodontic treatment, not an optional extra at the end of it.
This page is general information and does not replace an examination. If you are in significant pain or have facial swelling, contact us or seek urgent care rather than waiting.