Crowded Teeth: How Do I Get Dental Crowding Properly Fixed?

All cases of crowded teeth are different. Some are more serious than others. Sometimes, the best way to fix crowded teeth is to work with a dentist and orthodontist on a series of extractions, spacers, and braces.

But sometimes, crowded teeth can be fixed at home with aligners. You'll still need a dental expert to supervise your progress, but this method could save you time and money.

What is Dental Crowding (or crowded teeth)?

The Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary defines crowding as a condition in which the teeth are so crowded that they bunch, overlap, or twist. 

In a healthy mouth, the sides of all teeth touch. In a mouth with dental crowding, some teeth are too far forward, back, or sideways.

How to identify crowded teeth

Are your teeth crowded? It’s not always easy to tell. But with a little patience and a mirror, you could gain a deeper understanding of your smile and any underlying problems you face.

Here’s what to do to determine if you have crowded teeth:

1. Pick a spot. Find a room with ample bright lights and a clean mirror.

2. Prepare your teeth. Pull your lips back and align your teeth on top of one another. You should look like you’re showing all of your teeth to the mirror.

3. Look at the spaces. Your teeth should each have their own sockets, and while they might touch one another at the tips, they should be spaced at the root. If your teeth overlap, you could be dealing with crowding.

Are There Different Grades of Crowded Teeth?

Dentists can help you determine just how crowded your teeth are. The more severe your case, the more significant treatment you might need. This table can help you understand your treatment options at a glance:

How long does treatment take?

In 2018, researchers wrote that there’s no consensus about orthodontic treatment time. In general, complex cases take longer to fix than mild ones. However, experts don’t agree on an “ideal” time that patients need care.

That said, the treatment device you choose can make a difference in how long you need treatment.

This chart can help you understand how long treatment typically takes with the devices we’ve mentioned:

What Causes Teeth Crowding?

Teeth can be crowded together for various reasons, and some can't be controlled.

Teeth can crowd due to the following:

• Heredity: Genes are responsible for most cases of tooth crowding, experts say. If most of your family photos show smiles marred by crowding, you will likely deal with the same problem too. 

• Illness and injury: If you're hit in the face, your jaw can move out of alignment and change the position of your teeth. Some mouth and jaw tumors can also shift tooth placement.

• Childhood habits: Prolonged bottle feeding or thumb sucking can contribute to tooth crowding.

• Poor dental care: Loose or missing teeth, improperly fitting crowns, and more can all cause changes in tooth position.

• Changing teeth: Losing your baby teeth early, growing extra teeth, or having teeth that are too large could cause crowding.

What are the Signs of Crowded Teeth?

If you have crowded teeth, you may notice the issue when you look in the mirror. But you may also have subtle signs that indicate your teeth aren't nesting together as they should. 

Crowded teeth signs include the following:

• Difficulty cleaning your teeth: Floss gets stuck and breaks. And bristles from your toothbrush stick between your teeth. 

• Stuck food: After you eat, tiny bits of food stick in the crowded spots. 

• Advanced decay: Some experts believe that crowding can lead to cavities. It's hard to clean hidden spots, and that can make your oral health worse.

• Whistling sounds: Air can move in unusual ways through your teeth when you talk, leading to strange noises.

Can Crowded Teeth Cause Health Risks?

Significantly crowded teeth can cause the following problems:

It's common for people to talk about crowded teeth as a cosmetic issue. But clearly, teeth that are bunched together can lead to a variety of secondary problems. Many of them have little to do with appearance at all.

How Do Dentists Treat Crowded Teeth?

In a healthy mouth, your upper and lower jaws nest together. When something ruins that close relationship, experts refer to the issue as malocclusion. In severe cases, it can cause significant health issues.

If you've been assessed by a dentist or orthodontist, and you know you have severe malocclusion, you might need an expert's help to get better. They may use the following treatment approaches:

Can Byte Fix my Crowded Teeth?

Imagine that only a few crowded teeth mar your smile. Maybe they're bunched right up in the center, where everyone can see them. Perhaps you can feel them when you run your tongue over your smile. You can fix minor tooth crowding like this at home.

Doctor-monitored, at-home aligners put you in touch with a team of dental experts. They will do the following:

• Assess your smile. You’ll send in impression from your at-home dental impression kit, so they can assess how your teeth look now.

• Plan for the future. A doctor looks over the impressions and determines how your teeth should move.

• Create aligners. Your team makes a series of plastic trays that slide over your teeth. Periodically, you swap out these trays for new sets. Slowly, your teeth take up new positions. Experts say aligners can move your teeth about 0.3 millimeter per tray.

Telemedicine techniques keep you in touch with your treatment team. You still have appointments with an expert, but they're done online. 

This medicine model cuts expenses, meaning aligners often come with smaller price tags. You might pay $2,000 for aligners, which is less than half of what you might pay for braces.

Aligners can also work quickly when compared to braces. If your crowding issue is mild, you may only need the tools for a few months, not years.

Crowded Teeth Frequently Asked Questions