The alignments of teeth are often genetically determined. The child inherits the tooth size from one parent and the jaw size from the other parent. This may cause a discrepancy in the jaw and tooth size and lead to spacing or crowding of teeth. Orthodontic problems can also be caused by habits that apply forces on the developing dentition such as thumb sucking and finger sucking. Early loss of baby teeth can cause drifting of the adjacent teeth and prevent the permanent teeth to take the normal path of eruption and causing crowding and collapsed jaws.
Your pediatric dentist can help your child avoid oral habits that may create orthodontic problems.