Your children's baby teeth aren't just there to help them eat and speak; they also serve as important placeholders for the adult teeth that will start coming in as they grow up. This means that any crookedness can cause problems later, with braces normally being needed to correct the problem, so it can be troubling to see your child's teeth coming in crooked.

Here are just three reasons why that can happen.

1. Genetics

Unfortunately, crooked teeth may be something out of your control. If both you and your partner had crooked teeth as children, your own child could suffer from the same issue. If this is a problem that tends to run in your family, you should be extra vigilant when it comes to your child; make sure you take them to the dentist if you notice that teeth are coming in at all crooked.

However, crookedness might simply be caused by unfortunate genetic combinations. For example, your child could inherit a small jaw from one parent and large teeth from the other. This will tend to cause overcrowding, which can itself result in crookedness.

2. Overcrowding

Overcrowding might not always be caused by a combination of small jaw and large teeth, but it should always be considered a cause for concern. It might sound odd, but baby teeth should come in with gaps between them. This provides room for growth at a later date. If a baby's teeth come in looking more like adult teeth, with no large gaps discernible, it's likely that overcrowding will occur. This means that the teeth might not be able to develop properly, resulting in crookedness.

3. Thumb-Sucking

Thumb-sucking isn't so innocuous a habit as you might believe. When your child sucks on their thumb, they place excessive pressure on the upper incisors; over time, this constant pressure will push those teeth forward. At the same time, the pressure on lower teeth can cause them to come in crooked and, since they are pushed backwards, overcrowding can occur. If your child sucks their thumb, you should try to put a stop to the habit as quickly as possible.

4. Long-Term Pacifier Use

Pacifiers can be beneficial during the first year and a half of life, but they shouldn't be used after around two years of age. At this point, prolonged pacifier use can start to make the upper front teeth come forward, and it can also start to create jaw alignment and bite problems. Make sure you wean your child away from the pacifier to prevent this from happening.