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Crowding of Teeth

Crowding is the lack of space for all the teeth to fit normally within the jaws. The teeth may be rotated or displaced. Crowding occurs when there is disharmony in the tooth-to-jaw size relationship or when the teeth are larger than the available space.

Crowding can be caused by early or late loss of primary teeth, improper eruption of teeth, or a genetic imbalance between jaw and tooth size.

Crowding should be corrected because it can:

1. Make it much more difficult to properly clean all the surfaces of your teeth.
2. Increase the chance of dental decay (because of inadequate cleaning).
3. Increase the chance of gum disease (because of inadequate cleaning).

How Can Crowding Be Orthodontically Corrected?

Extra space can be created by expansion of the arches or extraction of teeth. Once space is created, braces are used to align the teeth. Correction of crowding can help prevent dental decay and periodontal disease by improving the ability to remove plaque from the teeth.