Why Are My Child’s Baby Teeth Coming in Crooked?

It can be an exciting experience the first time you see your child’s baby teeth emerging. But you notice the teeth are not the picture-perfect smile you envision: they are growing in crooked! You might think you have done something to cause your baby’s teeth to not develop normally, but crooked tooth growth happens more frequently than you might know. Let’s look at some common reasons for crooked teeth development.

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Why Are My Child’s Baby Teeth Coming in Crooked?

It is a common occurrence for any baby’s teeth to come in crooked. In most of the cases, genetics play the largest role in how your baby’s teeth will develop. Large teeth from one parent and maybe a small mandible from the other parent can lead to overcrowding in the mouth. This can happen as the primary teeth begin to emerge around six months of age. But there are other considerations in why your child’s teeth are coming in crooked. These include the following:

• Bottom teeth in a crooked V shape
• No space between baby teeth
• Baby teeth coming in at an angle/slant
• Thumb or pacifier sucking

Educating yourself about your baby’s teeth development and potential problems is the best way to help plan the best strategy if such problems arise. Here’s a little more in-depth explanation as to the most common causes for crooked baby teeth.

Bottom Teeth in a Crooked V Shape

When the first set of teeth appear, they are often crooked, perhaps appearing in a V shape. This seems most prominent in bottom teeth. At this stage of your child’s tooth development, pediatric dentists indicate there is nothing to worry about. The child’s teeth should self-correct as he or she grows. About the only thing you can do is prevent extensive pacifier or thumb sucking past the age of 12-24 months. This can then be excluded as a future contributor in severely crooked teeth.

No Space Between Baby Teeth

One concern you may have is when there is no space between your baby’s developing teeth. You may fear that your little one will not have enough room for the permanent teeth to break through and cause overcrowding.

Normally, babies have tiny gaps between their baby teeth. Closely developed teeth are not a great concern to orthodontic or pediatric dentists in primary teeth. Many dentists have suggested that teeth developing closely are a sign of crowding when adult teeth start to erupt. They stress how important it is for you to develop an oral care routine and maintain it twice a day. 

Baby Teeth Coming in at an Angle/Slant

It is 100 % natural for a baby’s teeth to come in at an angle or slant. This is especially true for permanent teeth. As the teeth grow, they will gradually come into proper alignment. If a crooked baby primary tooth is still in place when the adult permanent teeth erupt, then your dentist may opt to remove the primary tooth. 

Even though the baby primary teeth may come in at an angle, once the adult teeth have emerged and the primary teeth are gone, then your child’s tongue will naturally push them into regular alignment. Overall, a pediatric dentist or orthodontist recommends to just practice good oral hygiene, have good nutrition and avoid sugary foods and drinks.

Thumb or Pacifier Sucking  

Another contributor to crooked tooth development is the practice of thumb or pacifier sucking. The act of sucking is natural. This instinct leads to a better grasp of the breast as breastfeeding is introduced. It is believed that the act of just putting something in the mouth is a way to calm and soothe your baby. 

Most pediatric dentists and health professionals agree that pacifier use isn’t harmful to your baby as long as the practice isn’t continued past the age of 36 months. Most health practitioners prefer the pacifier use over the thumb, as trying to break a thumb sucking habit is extremely difficult past the age of 2 or 3. 

As with most parents, it is completely natural for you to be concerned over any potential problems with your child’s tooth development. Be sure to seek out the advice from a pediatric dentist once problems arise. A pediatric dentist can you prevent any further tooth development problems for your child.