Crooked teeth aren’t just a cosmetic dental issue. Often, they contribute to serious dental health concerns and should not be ignored. Crooked teeth make it difficult to brush and floss properly. This allows plaque and debris to build up, possibly leading to cavity formation and gum disease. Dr. Scott Finlay offers several solutions for treating crooked teeth in Annapolis, MD.
A misaligned bite, overcrowding, or crooked teeth often require orthodontic treatments. Dr. Finlay provides Invisalign and Six Month Smiles in his office. He also offers treatment options for creating straighter-looking teeth without braces.
Why Should You Fix Crooked Teeth?
Treating a misaligned bite can greatly affect your confidence and dental health. Straightening crooked teeth can offer many advantages for patients:
- Improved Confidence: Do you hide your teeth when you laugh or smile? After you straighten your teeth, you don’t need to hide your teeth in social situations. You can smile with confidence.
- Reduced Chance of Gum Disease and Tooth Decay: Because crooked teeth are hard to clean, harmful bacteria can build in hard-to-reach areas. Straight teeth are simpler to brush and floss. In addition, patients are more motivated to care for their oral health after they have straight teeth. You will have a much easier time brushing and flossing after you receive a straighter smile.
- Better Bite Function: An uneven bite places pressure on different parts of the smile. Over time, malocclusion or a bad bite can increase the risk of problems like TMJ disorders. Stress and pressure on the teeth and jaw contribute to TMD, a bite disorder that can create bad oral health habits. Patients who develop TMD from a bad bite can unconsciously clench or grind their teeth. Straightening teeth can prevent problems like jaw pain, headaches, and tooth damage.
- Stronger Teeth: In addition to poor bite function, uneven bites can place stress on some teeth more than others. Increased wear and tear to these teeth may lead to broken teeth. Some patients may need treatment to cover and protect their teeth if they do not receive orthodontic care.
How to Straighten Teeth Without Braces
Your dentist may suggest straightening your teeth without braces when there are no health considerations that would require braces. Cosmetic and restorative dentistry services can cover aesthetically crooked teeth. Some of these treatments include:
Porcelain Veneers
We use porcelain veneers to correct minor problems, including gaps between teeth, crooked teeth, or uneven teeth. They are thin shells that cover the front of the teeth. We use bonding material to place custom-made veneers on prepared teeth during veneer treatment. We can perfectly color-match your veneers with your natural teeth. Veneers are also resistant to staining.
Porcelain veneers benefit patients with crooked teeth in the front of the mouth. With veneers, patients who want to improve the aesthetics of their teeth can improve their smiles without treating their back teeth. Dental veneers are a permanent treatment because we prepare teeth before placing restorations. We will remove a portion of the tooth so the veneers fit properly.
Cosmetic Bonding
Bonding is a quick and easy way to fix minor imperfections in the teeth, including crooked teeth. Dental bonding can treat front teeth. During bonding treatment, the dentist will apply a biocompatible resin directly to the tooth and sculpt it into the proper shape and form. Cosmetic tooth bonding does not remove any of the natural tooth structure.
However, cosmetic bonding is less durable and long-lasting than other procedures and may require touch-ups. This is an effective and economical treatment for patients not ready for a more permanent treatment, such as dental veneers.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a tooth-colored restoration that can cover an entire tooth like a cap. Your dentist can use a crown to close spaces between teeth, lengthen teeth, and achieve symmetry. A dental crown can also treat worn, broken, or decayed teeth. We often recommend a dental crown to alter the shape of a crooked or irregularly shaped tooth. The crown can make teeth appear better aligned.
When you receive a dental crown, your dentist will prepare your tooth to ensure the crown fits properly. They will take impressions for a custom crown. When the crown is complete, they use dental cement to keep it in place permanently. Your new dental crown can last at least five years or longer if you have good oral hygiene.
Orthodontics to Straighten Crooked Teeth in Annapolis, MD
Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that focuses on correcting the alignment and position of teeth, jaw joints, and TMJ disorders. Orthodontic treatment may involve either metal braces or invisible braces to straighten teeth. Many adult and teen patients prefer invisible braces. This treatment is for patients with mild to moderate orthodontic problems.
Benefits of Invisible Braces
Clear aligners offer many benefits to patients. Our Invisalign treatment offers:
- Effective treatment for various alignment problems, including crowding, spacing, overbite, and underbite.
- Removable trays so you to eat whatever you want.
- Improved hygiene because you can brush and floss normally.
- Smooth plastic instead of sharp metal for more comfortable treatment.
- The convenience of visiting our Annapolis dentist’s office to monitor treatment instead of a specialist.
Now Offering Six Month Smiles
We now offer Six Month Smiles in our Annapolis dental office. These are low-profile, tooth-colored brackets and wires that straighten teeth in six months, on average. Six Month Smiles is also less expensive than Invisalign or traditional metal braces. This treatment option may seem similar to metal braces but offers more discreet treatment and smaller appliances.
We often recommend Six Month Smiles for patients who want to treat one or more crooked teeth in the front of their smile. Six Month Smiles can enhance your smile’s aesthetics in a short amount of time.
Straighter Teeth For A Healthy Smile
Improve your self-esteem and dental health by straightening crooked and misaligned teeth. Contact Scott Finlay, DDS & Associates, PA, to treat crooked teeth in Annapolis, MD. Call 443–276–4094 or request an appointment online to see which treatment option is right for you.