What Causes Misaligned Midline Teeth?
Midline misalignment is a common dental condition for adults. This occurs when your upper dental arch’s center point does not align with your lower dental arch. The physical effects of a misaligned midline shift can be problematic. Improper alignment of your teeth can affect the way your bite functions. A midline shift can also affect the back of your jaw and therefore lead to other dental issues like uneven wear on your teeth causing cavities, cracks, and accidental grinding. There are several treatments available to correct a misaligned midline.
Common Causes of Midline Misalignment
Some medical conditions or lifestyle habits can lead to midline misalignment. Here are some common causes:
* Missing Teeth or Hypodontia- Missing teeth or hypodontia is when one or even more of your adult teeth are missing. It might be from gum disease, tooth decay, injury, or you are born it. Your remaining teeth will shift to the open gap, resulting in a dental midline shift.
* Crowded Teeth- A misaligned midline can get disturbed from the crowding of teeth. When your teeth grow abnormally, they do not follow the proper spacing between them. This happens because of the lack of room in your mouth for all of them. As a result, you get a misaligned midline.
* Jaw Misalignment- You may have heard about open bite, crossbite, or underbite. All these are different types of jaw misalignments. They create malocclusion of teeth, which does not let them fit together properly. This is a natural cause for a midline shift as well.
* Bad Childhood Habits- If the childhood habit of sucking the thumb or pacifier gets extended, it can create many orthodontic issues. One of them is a misaligned midline. You can eliminate this cause by regulating your baby's thumb or pacifier sucking.
Ways to Treat Misaligned Midline Teeth
Although misaligned midline shift is a common condition, your specific case might differ. There are various treatments available, and based on your unique situation and requirements, your dentist will recommend one of the following:
* Braces- Braces are remarkably effective at correcting midline misalignments. In addition to a dental midline correction, braces can also help improve skeletal realignment. The only major downside of braces is their visibility, they are just difficult to hide.
* Invisalign- Invisalign is an innovative treatment option for correcting your misaligned midline. Invisalign can also be paired with additional dental appliances for other dental issues. The transparent clear aligners used in this treatment are difficult to see, which is driving their popularity.
* Hyrax expander- A Hyrax expander is also used to correct a misaligned midline. The expander is fastened to your teeth and positioned in your mouth roof to expand your upper jaw. The expander will hold this position, so the teeth have an opportunity to adjust to their new position. The expander can be worn anywhere from three to nine months.
* Extraction- A strategic tooth extraction can correct a misaligned midline shift. When space opens up after a tooth is extracted, the other teeth will shift to fill the gap. This might be used in combination with another treatment for better results.