There is no single reason why some teeth grow in crooked, twisted or overlapping and others do not. Just like the color of your hair, these are often inherited traits. While you can’t prevent crooked teeth, there are various ways to fix them through orthodontics.
If left untreated, crooked teeth can worsen over time. Not to mention, having crooked or overlapping teeth may make a person self conscious about their smile or physical appearance.
In addition to hereditary genes, crooked teeth can result from early loss of baby or adult teeth, inaccurate fittings of crowns, thumb sucking or the prolonged use of a pacifier or bottle.
In some cases, people are born with mouths that are too small for their teeth, which causes the teeth to shift and become crooked. Crooked teeth can also stem from an upper and lower jaw that are two different sizes.