Dental Crowding

When your teeth are crowded, there is a lack of space to fit them comfortably in the arch. This can result in teeth rotating or being displaced from the arch or become impacted.

Crowding can be caused by relatively large teeth or normal-sized teeth within small dental arches. It can also be caused by dental abnormalities e.g. extra teeth (supernumerary teeth), twin teeth etc.

Besides the aesthetic appeal, crowding can make teeth cleaning more difficult. This can increase the risks of tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Dental crowding should be diagnosed early by a general dentist or orthodontist so that an assessment can be made for the need of early (interceptive) treatment. In the suitable case, space can be created with either arch expansion or moving molar teeth back. These procedures usually require a growing child. Creating space successfully means that no dental extractions are required!

On the other hand, when there is severe crowding and the facial features indicate that the incisors need to be moved back, then dental extractions will be indicated. This decision is usually made when all the permanent premolar teeth have erupted i.e. approximately 12 year of age. In milder cases of crowding with good facial contours, the sides of teeth can be polished to create space.