My Child’s Teeth Are Growing In Crooked — Should I Worry?

Most kids’ teeth are at least a little bit crooked or off-center. Crooked teeth can even add a certain charm to a child’s smile. But as a parent, you might wonder if a crooked smile is something you should address sooner rather than later. 

Hendricks Dental Specialists, a family dental and orthodontics practice in Brentwood, Tennessee, welcomes kids in for pediatric dentistry and early orthodontics evaluations. 

Our expert dentists and staff can help you make confident decisions about your child’s oral health and wellness. 

If you’re a parent who wonders if your child might already need braces, you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll discuss crooked teeth in children and tell you when it’s time to take action. 

What crooked teeth might mean 

Crooked teeth happen naturally because nature isn’t perfect. People can live their entire lives with crooked teeth and never get any treatment. However, in some cases, avoiding treatment could lead to future oral health challenges. 

Baby teeth

Baby teeth are temporary, and they’ll eventually fall out as your child grows. If your child’s first few teeth have grown crookedly, it doesn’t necessarily mean their adult teeth will too. Their teeth and jaws change drastically over time as they grow and develop. 

For babies and small children, you don’t usually need to take any immediate action aside from keeping their teeth and gums clean. Be sure to bring your child in for their first pediatric dental visit within six months of seeing the first tooth arrive. 

Adult teeth

Your child’s adult teeth slowly replace their baby teeth. Every time your child loses a baby tooth, an adult tooth soon erupts in its place. For these teeth, you’ll want to pay closer attention to how straight or crooked they are. 

The positions of your child’s permanent adult teeth can dictate how they speak, how they chew, and how well they can keep their mouth clean in the future. 

Recognizing malocclusion

As your child develops their permanent teeth, watch out for some common types of malocclusion (bite problems). Slight crookedness might not need any treatment. However, we will advise you to watch out for:

• Crowded teeth (teeth are overlapping and twisting to share the space)
• Overbite (the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth more than usual)
• Underbite (the bottom teeth overlap the upper teeth)
• Open bite (the front teeth don’t touch when your child grins)

Let us know if you notice any problems with eating or speaking that might be linked to crooked teeth. In some cases, malocclusion can cause speech challenges, jaw joint problems, or trouble chewing. 

You let us know if you notice behaviors that influence tooth positions, like thumb sucking. 

Early steps you can take

We recommend that kids have their first orthodontic evaluation by age seven. This initial visit can give you confidence that your child’s teeth are growing properly, or guide you to make informed treatment decisions. 

We might suggest early interventions if the crookedness causes current problems or may cause problems in the future. Early orthodontics can include:

• Palatal expanders 
• Early braces
• Tooth extractions to give erupting teeth more space
• Monitoring jaw development

In most cases, kids don’t need major orthodontic treatments like braces or Invisalign® until they’re a little older.

Get in touch

Our dentists and orthodontists at Hendricks Dental Specialists welcome you to book an initial orthodontic visit for your child today. Call the office for appointment availability.