Ask a Tim
Ask a Tim
Finally an answer to all your questions about everything. Not only an answer, but an answer from a Tim! E-mail all questions to AskingTim@Gmail.com or by clicking on the link on the left hand menu bar titled "Get your questions answered" and leaving a comment! I will reply (if I can) as soon as possible!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
And I even had my Wisdom teeth taken out...
Dear Tim,
Can a gap in your teeth be a hereditary thing? Or is it totally up to chance?
-Derek
Dear Derek,
First off, thanks for submitting a question! I have been sitting patiently in the wings for months now, awaiting a new question to stimulate my noggin.
This is a question that I have a lot of personal experience with. Not only have I had orthodontics in my mouth for about half my life (I finally ripped my bottom retainer off a few months ago), but I can also see how I get my bite directly from my father. While the "perfect" mouth has a slight overbite, mine is stubborn in biting straight down, front teeth on front teeth, which means my back teeth don't touch.
But to answer your question, there are two types of causes for irregular teeth. The first, as you mentioned, is hereditary. Hereditary factors include a mismatch in the sizes of upper and lower jaws (your bite), an abnormal number of teeth (either too many, or too few), or mismatching in tooth and jaw sizes (either your jaw is too big or too small, or your teeth are). The last two are the factors that would cause a gap in the teeth.
The other cause for irregular teeth is environmental factors. These include early loss of deciduous teeth, bad habits (such as digit sucking or pen biting), lack of proper oral care leading to oral disease, or lost teeth due to oral disease or traumatic injury.
So, to answer your question, a gap in the teeth is definitely not up to pure luck. It is either because one of your parents had it, or you didn't brush as often as you should have (or got hit in the face by a brick).
I unfortunately had the combination of hereditary factors that included both misaligned jaw and too many teeth. This led to having over 8 baby teeth pulled, 2 permanents pulled, 2 years of retainer, followed by four years of braces, followed by one year of retainer, then a palate expander for a year, another two years of braces, and then retainers again for about 6 years.
***DID YOU KNOW***
Over four years ago scientists were claiming that the next mobile phones would be in a tooth. It would use a tiny vibrating plate to send sound waves from received calls, through your jawbone to your ear canal. Of course, the big problem wasn't getting you to hear it, but getting the other person to hear you. Since words are not formed just by your voicebox, but also by the shape your lips make as you speak the word, the complication was in getting your words to sound correctly to the other person.
Can a gap in your teeth be a hereditary thing? Or is it totally up to chance?
-Derek
Dear Derek,
First off, thanks for submitting a question! I have been sitting patiently in the wings for months now, awaiting a new question to stimulate my noggin.
This is a question that I have a lot of personal experience with. Not only have I had orthodontics in my mouth for about half my life (I finally ripped my bottom retainer off a few months ago), but I can also see how I get my bite directly from my father. While the "perfect" mouth has a slight overbite, mine is stubborn in biting straight down, front teeth on front teeth, which means my back teeth don't touch.
But to answer your question, there are two types of causes for irregular teeth. The first, as you mentioned, is hereditary. Hereditary factors include a mismatch in the sizes of upper and lower jaws (your bite), an abnormal number of teeth (either too many, or too few), or mismatching in tooth and jaw sizes (either your jaw is too big or too small, or your teeth are). The last two are the factors that would cause a gap in the teeth.
The other cause for irregular teeth is environmental factors. These include early loss of deciduous teeth, bad habits (such as digit sucking or pen biting), lack of proper oral care leading to oral disease, or lost teeth due to oral disease or traumatic injury.
So, to answer your question, a gap in the teeth is definitely not up to pure luck. It is either because one of your parents had it, or you didn't brush as often as you should have (or got hit in the face by a brick).
I unfortunately had the combination of hereditary factors that included both misaligned jaw and too many teeth. This led to having over 8 baby teeth pulled, 2 permanents pulled, 2 years of retainer, followed by four years of braces, followed by one year of retainer, then a palate expander for a year, another two years of braces, and then retainers again for about 6 years.
***DID YOU KNOW***
Over four years ago scientists were claiming that the next mobile phones would be in a tooth. It would use a tiny vibrating plate to send sound waves from received calls, through your jawbone to your ear canal. Of course, the big problem wasn't getting you to hear it, but getting the other person to hear you. Since words are not formed just by your voicebox, but also by the shape your lips make as you speak the word, the complication was in getting your words to sound correctly to the other person.
:: posted by timothy, 9:10 AM
2 Comments:
"So, to answer your question, a gap in the teeth is definitely not up to pure luck. It is either because one of your parents had it, or you didn't brush as often as you should have (or got hit in the face by a brick)."
That's a steaming load of H.S.; none of the factors you describe apply in the case of my gap. Where do you get your information? I enjoy my gap's presence as it contributes to my ruggedly handsome appearance, and I cannot tolerate this sort of misrepresentation.
That's a steaming load of H.S.; none of the factors you describe apply in the case of my gap. Where do you get your information? I enjoy my gap's presence as it contributes to my ruggedly handsome appearance, and I cannot tolerate this sort of misrepresentation.
Oh, Irritated Rufus, why are you so irritable. Perhaps its your name.
As to your tooth, I am glad that you are secure enough with yourself that you are able to celebrate all the little idiosyncrasies that make us all different.
As for my load of horse poo, I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to. At no point in the above quote did I refer to a gap in your teeth being either a bad thing or a good thing. You, obviously celebrate yours, and "Huzzah" to you.
If your gap in your teeth did not come from genetics (happened gradually over time as you grew) and did not come from physical injury, I would love to know how you got the gap in your tooth.
Always looking to expand my knowledge,
Tim
As to your tooth, I am glad that you are secure enough with yourself that you are able to celebrate all the little idiosyncrasies that make us all different.
As for my load of horse poo, I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to. At no point in the above quote did I refer to a gap in your teeth being either a bad thing or a good thing. You, obviously celebrate yours, and "Huzzah" to you.
If your gap in your teeth did not come from genetics (happened gradually over time as you grew) and did not come from physical injury, I would love to know how you got the gap in your tooth.
Always looking to expand my knowledge,
Tim
