Crowding

Not enough room for the teeth

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) defines crowding in its article on common types of bite problems: “Crowding refers to a condition in which there is insufficient space for the teeth. This lack of space causes the teeth to overlap, twist, or be pushed to the front or back.” The AAO glossary uses crowded inside its entry on Class I malocclusion, which it describes as “A malocclusion in which the back molars meet properly, but the front teeth may appear to be crowded together or spaced apart.” Crowding is a problem of space, then, and it can appear in a bite whose back teeth meet as they should.

Crowded, crooked teeth: the everyday words

Crowded teeth is the everyday way to say crowding, and the AAO’s page on common orthodontic problems pairs it with crooked: “Although crowded, crooked teeth are usually obvious, many patients are not aware of unerupted teeth that may not be able to push through their gums without help.” The same sentence is a reminder that what shows in a mirror is not the whole picture, since a tooth that has not come in yet does not show at all.

Crowding while a child’s teeth change over

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) writes about crowding of children’s front teeth in its guideline on the developing teeth: “Inadequate arch length with resulting incisor crowding is a common occurrence, particularly in the early mixed dentition.” The AAPD splits the mixed dentition, the years when baby and permanent teeth share the mouth, into an early and a late stage.

Whether crowding needs treatment, and when, is for the orthodontist to weigh. The answer page on what causes crowded teeth goes further, and crowding sits with the other bite problems in the practice’s glossary.