Your smile is your signature — something people notice right away and remember long after. For some, a snaggletooth is just a little quirk, giving their smile more personality. For others, it’s the reason they stay closed-lipped in photos.
If you fall into the latter category or your snaggletooth is becoming problematic, you don’t have to endure it. With the right treatment, you can move that wayward tooth back into alignment. But does Invisalign get the job done? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
What Is a Snaggletooth?
The term “snaggletooth” doesn’t refer to a specific type of misalignment. In fact, a snaggletooth can present in many different ways. It might be crooked, twisted, protruding, recessed, or shaped differently than the other teeth. The one universal feature of a snaggletooth is that it’s a single tooth out of line with the rest.
For some, snaggletooth develops in childhood. For others, habits or poor oral health cause the teeth to shift well after puberty. But no matter when snaggletooth develops, it is almost always the result of crowding.
How Does Snaggletooth Develop?
The teeth and their support structures are highly complex. That’s why we need specialists to treat them! So it shouldn’t be a surprise that snaggletooth can have multiple causes. It usually develops from a convergence of several factors.
Here are some of the most common causes:
Childhood Thumb-Sucking
Sorry to break it to you, but your snaggletooth might stem from a habit you dropped before preschool. Babies naturally suck their thumbs to self-soothe and quite a few continue this habit into toddlerhood. Once the milk teeth come in, thumb-sucking can alter the alignment of the teeth, and the path the baby teeth take defines how the adult ones will erupt later.
Early Loss of Baby Teeth
Most children lose their first baby tooth around age six and their last one by age 12. When baby teeth fall out before age five, they can leave a path for the adult teeth that is too crowded for their size. Without orthodontic treatment, the teeth will “fix” this by pushing those with narrow roots out of alignment, creating snaggletooth.
Tongue Thrust
Your tongue is a powerful muscle. While your teeth and ligaments are also strong, repetitive force from the tongue can push them out of place. Tongue thrust is an unconscious habit typically found in infants and toddlers, but some adults do it too. And no matter when you had this habit, it possibly contributed to your snaggletooth.
Large Teeth or a Small Jaw
Humans come in all shapes and sizes — and so do their teeth and jaws! Oversized teeth can be too big for an average-sized jaw, and abnormally small jaws can’t fit even average-sized teeth. In both cases, the teeth fight for space and push a tooth with smaller roots out of the way.
Bruxism, Gum Disease, and Bone Loss
Not everyone is familiar with the term bruxism, but most of us know the actions that define it: unconscious grinding and/or clenching. This places a lot of stress on the teeth and their supporting structures, causing gum and bone loss, which then lead to tooth migration and snaggletooth. Gum and bone loss don’t just come from bruxism, but no matter where they started, they can cause snaggletooth and other alignment issues.
Snaggletooth and Oral Health
No matter how your snaggletooth came about, it indicates an underlying problem: tooth crowding. But if all your other teeth are just fine, is one little misaligned tooth a problem? Sometimes, a snaggletooth won’t cause any issues, but it can. And the idea that all the other teeth now fit just fine isn’t accurate.
If you choose to leave your snaggletooth, some of the following issues could develop:
Cavities
Because toothbrushes can’t get into tight spaces, a snaggletooth gives bits of food a great place to hide. Even flossing can miss things, allowing plaque and tartar to develop, leading to cavities and tooth decay.
Periodontal Disease
Whenever one tooth is out of line with the rest, the root will put pressure on the surrounding structures, potentially eroding the jawbone and gums, creating periodontal disease. This can have a cascading effect, with the disease spreading throughout the gums and causing pain, bleeding gums, and tooth loss.
Root Exposure
Root exposure isn’t a problem on its own; it develops because of gum disease. The more the gums recede, the more it exposes the bottom tooth structure, including the root. This can lead to pain and tooth decay since the lower parts of the tooth are softer and more vulnerable.
Speech Issues
We form sounds by connecting the tongue with the teeth. The standard sounds for all languages are based on the tongue meeting well-aligned teeth. Crooked teeth, teeth that are off the standard midline, and teeth that stick out alter the sounds you make.
Breakage
When teeth are in proper alignment, they evenly distribute the force of chewing. A snaggletooth is inherently out of alignment and thus more vulnerable to taking extra force when chewing, leading to cracks or breakage.
General Alignment Issues
Because a snaggletooth indicates a misalignment, you might also experience various problems that come with it. From strain on the jaw to uneven wearing of the teeth, your mouth suffers when your teeth aren’t in the right positions.
Limitations of Invisalign
Invisalign can do a lot, but it can’t correct everything. Like any orthodontic treatment, it has its limitations. When it comes to snaggletooth, three factors determine whether Invisalign can correct it: tooth shape, rotation, and height.
Tooth Shape
Sometimes, the shape of a tooth just isn’t ideal for aligner treatment. For Invisalign to move the teeth, the aligners need to grip on each one. If the tooth is rounded, pegged, or has a sharp tip, it might not be possible to get the right grip.
Tooth Rotation
Many cases of snaggletooth come from rotation. Invisalign can typically correct rotations of 20 degrees or less. More than that and the only clear aligner treatment that works is Clarity by 3M, which can address rotations up to 30 degrees. Anything more and you’ll need braces.
Tooth Height
In many cases, snaggletooth also presents as a tooth that is higher or lower in the gum line than the others. Invisalign can’t raise or lower the teeth, so typically, you will need to go with Clarity or braces.
Invisalign Snaggletooth Treatment
Assuming that Invisalign can correct your snaggletooth — you have a suitable tooth shape, the rotation is 20 degrees or less, and there is no need to raise or lower the teeth — the process should be pretty straightforward.
Your first step is to find a dentist or orthodontist near you and schedule a consultation. They’ll evaluate your bite and take some diagnostics, including a 3D scan, X-rays, and photographs. Using the Invisalign software algorithm, your doctor will design your treatment plan, and you can either approve it or ask for changes.
Snaggletooth treatment almost always requires attachments. These give the aligners better grip and also allow for more fine-tuned control over tooth movement. You’ll have your attachments placed the day you get your first aligners, and your doctor can repair or update them as needed throughout treatment.
In some cases, correcting snaggletooth only requires moving a few teeth. In others, you might need to reposition the molars as well. This will largely determine the length of your treatment, since lar. Most people finish treatment in 12–18 months.
Final Thoughts
If your snaggletooth is more of a problem than your smile signature, look into correcting it. Invisalign can be a great option if your snaggletooth has a good shape, a rotation of 20 degrees or less, and doesn’t need to be raised or lowered. But if your case is a little more challenging, other in-office aligners or traditional braces might offer a better solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a snaggletooth cause pain?
A snaggletooth on its own should not cause pain, but if food gets trapped around it, the tooth starts decaying, or the gum recedes, you might experience soreness, irritation, and sensitivity.
Is it OK to whiten my teeth if I have a snaggletooth?
Yes, but use the right products. Strips cannot grip all the surfaces of a snaggletooth, so they produce uneven results. Go with custom trays and whitening gel syringes instead.
How can I make sure my snaggletooth is truly clean?
Because snaggletooth presents differently in different people, we suggest you get personalized advice from your dentist. In general, an electric toothbrush with a small, rotating head and a water pick are good tools to have.
Can snaggletooth be hereditary?
Yes, but habits and injuries can play just as much of a role. So don’t blame mom and dad too much.
Are certain teeth more likely to develop snaggletooth?
Technically, any tooth can become a snaggletooth, but the canines are most susceptible because of their narrow roots. They have less grip to fight pressure from the other teeth and are the most likely to give in and make way for other teeth.
What’s the best age to fix a snaggletooth?
With anything orthodontic, early treatment is best. As soon as you notice your snaggletooth, if you want it gone, get it fixed.
Are in-office or at-home aligners better for correcting snaggletooth?
In-office aligners have a wider scope of treatment. They can correct up to a 30-degree rotation and some, like Clarity by 3M, can slightly raise and lower the teeth.
Can pacifiers cause snaggletooth?
Pacifiers can cause snaggletooth, but it’s less likely to since they are softer than thumbs. On top of this, parents can help children end this habit before it becomes problematic.
Can you be too old to fix snaggletooth?
No, but the older you are, the more likely you are to have issues like tooth decay and gum disease. These issues can prevent or delay treatment.
What happens if my snaggletooth has already caused root exposure?
Talk to your dentist. They can use dental filling to protect the root or complete a gum graft, depending on what’s best for you. Filling works for minor cases while gum grafts are for more extreme root exposure.
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