New Patients (410) 221-3085

Current Patients (410) 628-6070

1 Texas Station Ct Suite 110 Timonium, MD 21093

Crooked Teeth Timonium, MD

Most people want a perfectly straight smile. With modern cosmetic dentistry, achieving an even smile is easier than ever. Dr. Paul Karpovich is a talented cosmetic dentist in Timonium, MD, who will help you straighten your crooked teeth. Fixing crooked teeth offers more than cosmetic benefits. Straight teeth can create an even bite to prevent bite problems and make it easier to care for your smile.

Dr. Karpovich can straighten your crooked teeth in Timonium MD

What Causes Crooked Teeth?

There are many reasons you can develop crooked teeth. In most of the patients we see, genetics and factors out of their control are the reason their teeth are crooked. Crowding, jaw size and shape, having too many teeth, bad bites, and bad palate development can all cause the teeth to grow crooked.

However, many preventable things can contribute to unaligned teeth. Some of the common examples we see are childhood thumb sucking, using a pacifier as a baby, and injuries to the face which result in teeth coming in crooked. Bad habits are a large contributor to crooked teeth. Thumb sucking as a child can change how your teeth develop. Additionally, if you have missing teeth and do not fill that gap, the surrounding teeth can grow crooked or shift out of place.

Why Should You Fix Crooked Teeth?

If you have crooked teeth, you should straighten them. However, you do not have to do it unless there is an oral health reason. There are many reason why you should crooked teeth, especially if they are already causing problems:

Oral Health Care

Most dentists recommend straightening crooked teeth because straight teeth are easier to maintain. Food debris and bacteria can build between overcrowded and overlapping teeth. Additionally, it can be harder to reach between these teeth if they are near the back of the mouth.

Once you straighten your teeth, you can easily floss between each tooth. You can also remove plaque from each tooth.

Possible Damage

Crooked teeth also have a higher risk for wear and tear. Over the years, misaligned teeth can constantly rub in certain spots on teeth. This will cause the enamel to wear down. Your teeth can possibly break from pressure on your enamel. A balanced bite can reduce the chance of tooth wear in different parts of your mouth.

Bite Problems

Many patients with crooked teeth end up developing bite problems like TMJ disorders. A misaligned bite contributes to issues like jaw pain, headaches, and teeth clenching and grinding. You’re more likely to clench and grind your teeth if you have uneven bite pressure.

A “bad bite” puts more stress on the joints and muscles that help you bite and chew. After you straighten teeth, you are at a reduced risk of developing a bite disorder.

As you can see, straightening your teeth will lessen your chance of developing certain oral health concerns. Fixing crooked teeth can also help increase your confidence in your smile. If you cover your teeth in social situations, you may not freely smile or feel comfortable eating around others. Straightening your smile can give you the self-confidence you need.

Crooked Teeth Treatment in Timonium, MD

If you want to straighten your teeth because you are unhappy with how it makes your smile look, we can help. The good news is you can straighten teeth without braces. While metal braces are beneficial for patients with severe orthodontic problems, they are highly noticeable. If you don’t want others to notice your smile, we offer discreet treatments that will help you get straighter teeth.

Dr. Paul Karpovich offers several treatment options for crooked teeth in Timonium, MD:

Invisalign

The Invisalign clear aligner system is a great way to discreetly straighten teeth. It involves using pairs of aligners to slowly push your teeth into proper alignment.

In our office, we will take digital impressions of your teeth and use the images to create a custom treatment plan. The aligners are made at the Invisalign lab and shipped to our dentist’s office.

You will wear the aligners for at least 22 hours every day. About once a week, you will switch to the next set of aligners. Invisalign aligners are clear and thin. They will apply gentle pressure to shift your teeth, but other than that, they are comfortable.

On average, Invisalign treatment can take 12 or more months. This treatment time depends on how often you wear your aligners and your orthodontic problems.

Porcelain Veneers

We can cover crooked teeth with porcelain veneers for patients not interested in orthodontic treatment. A tooth veneer is a thin shell made out of tooth-colored material. It will cover the entire front portion of the tooth once your dentist bonds it in place.

With this dental restoration, you can change a tooth’s entire shape and color. This will hide any blemish, including misalignment.

The dental veneer process involves two trips to the dentist’s office. At the first visit, we will prepare the teeth and take impressions. Once the dental lab returns your custom-made dental veneers to us at the next visit, we will bond them in place.

Veneers can cover one or all teeth in the smile zone, or the teeth that show when you smile. We often recommend veneers if you don’t need Invisalign but want to treat cosmetically crooked teeth.

What is Orthodontic Relapse?

Orthodontic relapse occurs when the teeth shift out of their straight positions after orthodontic treatment. To prevent this problem, wear your retainer after the Invisalign treatment.

If you do not wear your retainers or do not wear them for enough hours each day, your teeth can begin to shift. You may need braces or more Invisalign treatment if you develop tooth gaps, overcrowding, or crooked teeth.

We recommend contacting our office when you damage or lose a retainer. That way, we can immediately begin to make a replacement.

Get a Straighter Smile

Call our Timonium, MD office to treat your crooked teeth at (410) 221-3085. You can also schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Karpovich online. If you have questions about straightening crooked teeth, please ask Dr. Karpovich during your next visit.