Why do some people have crooked teeth and not others?

Teeth and TeethingThe development of the teeth and jaws is mainly controlled by the genetic factors inherit from the parents. Each individual, however, has a unique assortment of genes and it’s possible, for example, for a child to inherit large teeth from one parent and small jaws from the other, leading to overcrowding. Teeth in irregular position can, however, usually be aligned and made to bite together by the use of orthodontic appliances.

Does an impacted wisdom tooth always have to be removed?

An impacted wisdom tooth is one which is unable to grow properly because its path of eruption is blocked, usually by the tooth in front. Some impacted wisdom teeth are highly prone to infection, especially those which are only partially through the gum. Such teeth are best removal requires the loss of an excessive amount of bone. Some impacted wisdom teeth, during their development, may contributed to overcrowding of the lower incisors and should therefore be removed. A dentist will decide which is the appropriate course of action.

My sister’s baby was born with tooth that had to be removed. Does this mean that there will be one missing when the teeth finally erupt?

About one in 5000 babies are born with one or two teeth already present in the mouth-Julius Caesar and Napoleon, for example, are both reputed to have had this distinction. It sometimes runs in families. These teeth are not fully formed and will fall out, occasionally, however, they present a danger of choking the baby, and so it’s better to have them removed. The teeth will develop normally later on.