Crooked Teeth in Babies – Reasons and How to Deal With It

A person’s teeth are an important factor in the appearance of a person and every parent wants to see their children’s happy, bright smiles. Though in most cases crooked teeth happen only when the permanent teeth come in, there are chances that they could happen to your little one as well, causing you to worry about if they will also develop crooked permanent teeth. While there are some who do, most others develop perfectly normal teeth in the future.

Video : How to Deal With Crooked Teeth in Babies?

Why Are Your Baby’s Teeth Growing Out Crooked?

If you may be wondering “why is my baby teeth growing crooked” wonder no more. Here we have a few reasons why your baby may be developing crooked teeth.

1. Wrong Dental Habits

Babies tend to put everything they find into their mouths as this is one of the ways they explore their worlds, unfortunately, this could be a habit that causes your little one to develop crooked teeth. Some other bad dental habits that contribute to your baby developing crooked teeth are pacifiers, thumb sucking and prolonged bottle feeding.

2. Undeveloped Jaw

Your baby’s jaw is still growing and developing, so its small size makes it hard to hold all the teeth without looking overcrowded and slightly crooked.

3. The Role of Genetics

If you or your partner have crooked teeth, the genes for crooked teeth are likely to pass on to your baby. It is most prominent if your baby inherits a small jaw from mum and large teeth from dad. Those who inherit small teeth will have gaps between their teeth at first, but when more teeth start to grow, the teeth come closer together, making them look a bit fuller and straighter than before.

4. Sleeping on the Stomach

Allowing your baby to sleep on his tummy is not a good idea for many reasons, one of which is that it encourages crooked teeth as it puts pressure on their cheeks and mouth. While you may not notice the change immediately, over time, the crookedness becomes more evident. So, if you notice that your baby is falling asleep during tummy time, make sure to turn him over onto his back.

5. A Tumour or Cyst

In the rarest of cases, there may be a tumour or cyst inside your baby’s mouth, leading to protruding front teeth. Consult with your dentist on this matter so that you will be able to get treatment for your baby.

What Must Parents Do If Their Child’s Teeth Are Crooked?

Crooked baby teeth, is this unusual? It is quite common for most children to develop crooked teeth due to their small jaws. Even normal-sized teeth may sometimes make the mouth look overcrowded. If you want to do something to help your baby develop better teeth, here are some ways that you can help:

1. Better Oral Habits

It’s time to start developing the habit of brushing teeth as soon as your baby starts to teethe. Ensure that all the cavities get cleaned, and all the food particles get removed. Make it a habit that you check your baby’s teeth if he prefers brushing them on his own. However, you can start getting him used to the process much earlier. By using some moistened gauze wrapped around your index finger, you can gently clean the inside of their mouths.

2. Correct Bad Habits

If you are in the habit of using a pacifier to soothe your baby, it is alright. However, you need to ensure to start weaning your baby off the pacifier by age two to prevent your baby’s teeth from growing crooked. Thumb-sucking should be corrected as well and can sometimes be harder to wean your child off than the pacifier.

3. Consult a Professional

It is best to consult a professional in cases like this so that you will be able to find out if there is treatment required or if your baby is experiencing the crooked teeth due to having a small jaw. It is most often something that will sort itself out as your child grows.

Can You Prevent Crooked Teeth in Infants?

Crooked teeth can be prevented in kids by developing good habits early in life. Follow the mentioned tips to prevent the chance of developing crooked teeth:

• Do not let your little one suck his thumb.
• Take your kids for regular dental check-ups.
• Teach your kids to brush gently on the gums.

Why Consult a Dentist?

As the saying goes “prevention is better than cure” so ensure to start taking your child’s dental health seriously from the beginning if you want to prevent him from having any problems with crooked teeth. While you may be contemplating “Is it normal for baby teeth to come in crooked”, your dentist will have all the answers you are looking for, especially since each child develops in a unique way.

Book an appointment with your paediatric dentist even if your baby doesn’t have any dental issues. The paediatric dentist will be able to examine your baby’s mouth and jaw and advise you on how best to look after their oral health.

Your dentist will also be able to identify if your child has crooked teeth due to medical reasons such as a cyst or a tumour causes your baby to develop crooked teeth. This will enable you to discuss a plan of action and start treatment in order to heal your child of whatever the problem is.

Remember, most children who have crooked teeth develop a beautiful set of teeth in the future, so ensure to keep up with their dental appointments so that you have expert advice on your child’s oral health and development. Rather than waiting for things go sour, develop good dental hygiene habits in your children from an early age. This will prevent many problems in the future and will prevent the need for braces later in life.

Also Read:

Late Teething in Babies
Signs & Symptoms of Teething in Babies
Natal Teeth