If you’re an adult and your smile feels tight, uneven, or busy in the front, odds are you have crowded teeth. Crowded teeth are a case that most people don’t know is a problem. And those who are aware of its effect quietly worry about what it means for them.

It can show as difficulty in brushing, easy plaque buildup, or how your bottom teeth seem to twist more as you get older. If you have a combination of all of the above, you’re one of them.

Relax, don’t panic yet. There are many causes of crowded teeth, and the condition comes at different levels too. The good news is that, no matter how serious it is, it is treatable. Some treatments are cosmetic, some are medical, and some use the two approaches.

In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about crowded teeth. This will help you know more, so you can make confident decisions about your treatment.

What Are Crowded Teeth?

Crowded teeth, or dental crowding, simply means your teeth don’t have enough space on your jaw to sit in a neat row. Instead, they overlap, twist, or bend inwards.

Between the two jaws, crowded bottom teeth is more common because the lower jaw tends to be smaller and space runs out much faster on it.

What Dental Crowding Looks Like

In case you’re unaware, crowded teeth look like the following.

  • There’s an overlap in the front teeth.
  • Your teeth are rotated or tilted sideways.
  • Your tooth could also be pushed forward or inwards.
  • Your smile feels tight or uneven.
  • You have high difficulty flossing because there isn’t enough space between the contact points.

Causes of Crowded Teeth

Although dental crowding gives adult issues, it does not mean it doesn’t appear in a person’s childhood or teenage years. In fact, some of the causes of crowded teeth start off from young.

Common causes of crowded teeth include:

  • A naturally small jaw,
  • Larger than average teeth,
  • Genetics that influence tooth size or jaw size,
  • Losing baby teeth too early or too late,
  • Permanent teeth growing at an angle,
  • Tongue posture or habits that push teeth inwards,
  • Thumb sucking in early childhood, and
  • Age related shifting.

This shows that dental crowding usually starts off at young ages and then becomes issues later on. This is especially true for those with a naturally small jaw.

Why Crowded Bottom Teeth Are So Common

Compared to other cases, we usually deal with crowded bottom teeth with adults more. This is because there is a higher chance of crowded bottom teeth happening as a person gets older. Besides that, a few more reasons include:

  • Permanent teeth often fight for space in the lower arch,
  • Many adults stop wearing retainers after teenage orthodontics,
  • Pressure or pain as a wisdom tooth erupts,
  • The lower jaw narrows slightly as adults age, and
  • Even mild crowding in childhood becomes more visible in later years.

Due to some of these reasons, crowded bottom teeth are a case with a high percentage of dental issues among adults with dental crowding.

Severity Levels for Crowded Teeth

Medically, cases of crowded teeth are divided into three levels based on their severity, and treatment is administered based on these levels. The properties of each of them are:

Mild Crowding Moderate CrowdingSevere Crowding
– Small overlaps
– Slight rotation
– Just looks disorganized, but doesn’t hurt
– Mostly cosmetic
– It can be improved with cosmetic procedures		– Noticeable overlapping
– Rotation affecting several teeth
– Possible oral hygiene challenges
– Often needs orthodontic treatment		– The teeth are significantly displaced
– Jaw to tooth size imbalance
– Difficulty cleaning between teeth
– May require extraction combined with orthodontics

Treatment of crowded teeth can vary depending on each of these severity levels.

How To Fix Crowded Teeth: All Treatment Options

Every crowded smile has a different severity, so when you’re getting treatment, it must match your severity level, your goals, and your oral health. The following are the treatment options for each severity level.

Cosmetic Options for Mild Cases

Cosmetic procedures work beautifully for people who want their smile to look straighter without medically moving the teeth. This includes the use of veneers or bonding and recontouring techniques to adjust the tooth’s appearance.

Veneers for Slight Crowding

Veneers can improve the appearance of mild crowding by reshaping the visible surfaces of the teeth. They cannot move the teeth, but they can make the smile look aligned and symmetrical.

Benefits of Veneers Include:

  • Instant improvement in the appearance of overlapping.
  • A brighter and more even smile.
  • A clean and polished smile finish.
  • Options in porcelain or composite resin.
  • Predictable cosmetic results.

Limitations when using Veneers for dental crowding

  • Veneers do not correct bite problems, meaning you might still have a weird bite shape.
  • They are not suitable for moderate or severe crowding.
  • They require healthy enamel and gum stability.

Bonding and Recontouring

Bonding lets a dentist add or remove small amounts of material from the tooth to harmonize its shape. Meanwhile, recontouring is the removal of small amounts of enamel for balancing the shape of the tooth.

These treatments are good for people with:

  • Minor overlapping.
  • Small chips that make crowding look worse.
  • Uneven tooth edges.
  • Cosmetic tooth refinements.

They are not ideal for people with:

  • Biting or chewing issues.
  • Rotation of multiple teeth.
  • Significant spacing problems.

Orthodontic Treatments for Functional and Moderate Cases

Orthodontics remains the most reliable medical solution because it moves the actual teeth into proper alignment. If your dentist is recommending orthodontics to you, he’s suggesting one of three options.

These options are:

  • Traditional braces: This includes the use of brackets and wires to reposition the tooth.
  • Clear aligners: These are a series of custom, removable plastic trays that work to realign the teeth.
  • Hybrid systems: This approach combines the use of traditional braces and clear aligners for initial major corrections, and then for fine-tuning the alignment.

If your crowded teeth fit into the moderate or severe level category, your dentist will likely recommend that you use orthodontics. Additionally, if your teeth overlap at the roots, have bite imbalance, oral hygiene difficulties, or long-term concerns like gum diseases or enamel wear, you’re likely to use the orthodontic treatment.

Benefits of Orthodontics Include:

  • It corrects the tooth root position.
  • It improves long-term oral health.
  • It protects the gums from inflammation.
  • It creates better alignment for future cosmetic works.

Tooth Extraction With Orthodontics for Severe Crowding

In some cases, some smiles simply do not have enough space. The jaw could be small, or the teeth is large, or the crowding gets too severe. In cases like this, extraction becomes the go-to solution, which opens room for proper alignment.

Besides those, your dentist could recommend an extraction if there’s severe overlapping in your dentures. It’s also an option if you have strong rotations, bone support limitations, a blocked erupting tooth, or a large jaw size mismatch.

These cases force a dentist’s hand to perform an extraction followed by orthodontics to create a natural, healthy result.

Additional Procedures for Complex Cases

Crowding does not always appear alone. Sometimes, other dental concerns come with the diagnosis and need attention. In the event this happens, you’re looking at treatments that will involve:

Dental Implants: This is used only if a tooth is missing or damaged beyond repair during the treatment process.

Gum Health Treatments: Crowding makes plaque build up easily. This makes many patients need gum therapy before or during treatment to keep tissues healthy.

Bite Balancing: If the crowding affects how the teeth meet, bite adjustments may be needed so teeth do not wear down.

Aftercare Maintenance and Oral Hygiene

Once your crowding is corrected, you have to ensure you maintain a neat oral hygiene to ensure the long-term healing and permanency of the procedure.

Healthy habits you can keep in mind are:

  • Gently brushing twice daily.
  • Use floss, interdental brushes, or water flossers.
  • Get professional cleaning done every six months.
  • Manage plaque to prevent gum disease.
  • Wear retainers after orthodontic treatments.
  • Monitor any natural shifts as years go by.

Crowded teeth are linked to gum disease because plaque hides between the tight spaces. Straightening or cosmetically correcting the smile often makes hygiene much easier.

Am I A Candidate For Treatment

You may be a good candidate for mild cosmetic corrections if:

  • Your crowding is minor.
  • Your bite pattern and style are normal.
  • You want a quick aesthetic improvement.

You may be a better candidate for orthodontic treatment if:

  • Your crowding is moderate or severe.
  • Cleaning between your teeth is difficult.
  • Your bite is uneven.
  • You want long-term medical stability.

You may need extraction with orthodontics if:

  • Your jaw cannot physically support proper alignment.
  • Your teeth overlap heavily.
  • Your permanent teeth have little room to move.

Every patient has unique needs, which is why a professional evaluation by a certified and experienced dentist is essential before you make a decision.

Why Choose DentSpa

So, if you’re considering cosmetically correcting your crowded teeth, or you’ve figured you’re in the moderate or severe case line, where to correct your tooth becomes a question you need answered.

In Turkey, we at DentSpa have made a reputation out of fixing complex dental issues for patients of all ages. We are equipped with the latest in cosmetic dentistry tools and tricks, and have teams of certified and experienced oral surgeons and dental experts to tackle every dental case we meet.

Whether you want a small cosmetic improvement or a full dental correction, our team will help you choose the best path. All it takes for us to help you smile better is for you to book a free consultation with us. One conversation and we will thin out the crowd in your teeth.

Frequently asked questions

What are the causes of crowding?

Crowding comes from a jaw and tooth relationship that does not match. This includes small jaws, early childhood habits, genetic patterns, and the eruption path of permanent teeth.

Why are my teeth so overcrowded?

Common reasons for crowded teeth include genetics, small jaw size, large teeth, early or late loss of baby teeth, and shifting that naturally happens as adults age.

How do you fix a crowded tooth?

Treatment depends on severity. Slight crowding can be improved with veneers or bonding. Moderate and severe cases usually require orthodontics. Severe cases may require extraction before alignment.

What are crowded teeth?

Crowded teeth is a case that occurs when there is not enough room in the jaw for the teeth to line up properly. This causes overlapping, twisting, or rotation of the tooth.