Does diet play a part in crooked/ill-formed teeth? What are the contributing factors?
It is a myth that too much or too little calcium in the diet causes crooked teeth. The fact is that diet does not play a significant part in crooked teeth. However, a high sugar diet in childhood can lead to dental decay and early loss of baby teeth. Premature loss of baby teeth can lead to irregularities in alignment of the adult teeth later on. Another contributing factor for crooked teeth is thumb sucking or use of a pacifier for a prolonged period of time. Thus, it would be good preventive practice to wean a child off the pacifier or thumb sucking as early as possible.
