Medically reviewed by Dr. Rett Cortez, Orthodontist at Bailey-Welling Orthodontics
What is dental crowding?
Dental crowding is a type of malocclusion (misaligned bite) that occurs when there is not enough room in the jaw for teeth to erupt and align properly. Crowded teeth may overlap, rotate, or become displaced — and the condition often worsens over time without orthodontic treatment.
Your dentist might have mentioned that you or your child might need crowded teeth treatment in Bountiful. Or maybe you’ve noticed it yourself every time you brush: one tooth overlapping another, a canine that never quite came in where it should have, the front teeth that twist a little more each year.
Crowded teeth are one of the most common reasons patients visit our orthodontist in Bountiful. At Bailey-Welling Orthodontics, we treat mild, moderate, and severe dental crowding for kids, teens, and adults throughout Bountiful, Farmington, and Davis County. And the most common mistake people make is waiting too long to address it.
On this page
What causes crowded teeth, why crowding often gets worse with age, which treatment options work best, whether extractions are actually necessary, and what to expect at your free consultation in Bountiful.
What Causes Crowded Teeth?
The short answer is a mismatch between jaw size and tooth size. When your jaw doesn’t have enough room for all your teeth to align properly, they start competing for space.
Several things can contribute to this:
Genetics plays the biggest role. You might inherit your dad’s teeth and your mom’s jaw, and that’s not always a perfect combination. If crowding runs in your family, there’s a reasonable chance your kids will deal with it too.
Baby tooth issues can set the stage early. When a baby tooth is lost too soon, neighboring teeth drift into that space, leaving less room for the permanent tooth coming in underneath. When a baby tooth stays too long and blocks the permanent tooth from erupting in the right position, the same problem develops differently.
Jaw development matters a lot. A narrow upper jaw, a jaw that didn’t grow quite wide enough, or one that stopped growing before there was adequate space can all contribute to crowding.
Wisdom teeth get blamed for crowding more than they deserve. The research on this is actually mixed. Wisdom teeth don’t always cause the teeth in front of them to crowd. But in some cases, pressure from a third molar that doesn’t have room to fully erupt does push things forward.
Shifting after treatment is a crowding story all its own. If you had braces as a teenager and didn’t keep up with your retainer, you’ve probably noticed some of your teeth have moved back toward where they started. This is called relapse, and it’s extremely common, which is exactly why retainer compliance matters so much after treatment ends.
Why Crowding Gets Worse Over Time
This is the part a lot of people don’t realize: crowding isn’t static. For most patients, teeth continue to shift throughout adulthood. The crowding you notice at 30 is usually more pronounced than it was at 20, and it’ll keep going without treatment.
Lower front teeth are especially prone to this. It’s one of the most common things adults bring up at consultations. They had straight teeth in their twenties, stopped wearing their retainer, and gradually noticed their bottom front teeth starting to overlap and shift. The lower arch has less natural stability than the upper, and without retention, movement is almost inevitable over time.
Here’s what tends to happen when crowding goes unaddressed:
Oral hygiene gets harder. Overlapping teeth create tight spots that are difficult to clean properly with a toothbrush or floss. Those tight spots trap plaque, which leads to a higher risk of cavities and gum disease over time.
Wear becomes uneven. Teeth that are rotated or misaligned don’t bite together the way they were designed to. Over years of chewing, that irregular contact causes some surfaces to wear down faster than they should. This is the same wear pattern we see in patients coming in for overbite treatment. When bite mechanics are off, the consequences compound over time.
Gum health can suffer. When teeth are too close together or overlapping, the gum tissue between them sometimes responds with inflammation. This isn’t inevitable, but it’s more common in crowded mouths than in well-aligned ones.
It becomes more complicated to treat. A mild crowding case in a teenager is usually straightforward. That same case in a 45-year-old, with additional years of wear and shifting, often requires more planning and takes longer.
None of this is meant to alarm you. Crowding is one of the most treatable orthodontic problems there is, at any age. But the window for the easiest, most predictable treatment is earlier rather than later.
When Should You See an Orthodontist for Crowded Teeth?
You should schedule an orthodontic evaluation if your teeth are overlapping, rotating, hard to floss between, or seem to be shifting more each year.
For kids, early signs include permanent teeth coming in behind baby teeth, not enough room for the front teeth, or a narrow-looking upper arch. For adults, the most common sign is lower front teeth becoming more crowded over time, especially if you had braces as a teen and stopped wearing your retainer.
You don’t need a referral. At Bailey-Welling Orthodontics, the first step is a free consultation at our Bountiful office, where you’ll find out whether treatment is needed now, later, or not at all. There’s no obligation either way.
Crowding Treatment Options at Bailey-Welling Orthodontics
The right treatment depends on how much crowding you have, your age, whether your bite is also affected, and what your day-to-day life looks like. Dr. Cortez and Dr. Welling will walk through all of this with you at your free consultation, but here’s what the options generally look like:
Self-Ligating Braces (P21 Brackets)
Bailey-Welling uses P21 self-ligating brackets rather than traditional braces. The difference is in how the bracket holds the wire: instead of elastic ties, a built-in sliding door holds the archwire loosely in place. This reduces friction and allows teeth to move more freely, which tends to mean more comfortable treatment and fewer adjustment visits.
For crowding specifically, the reduced friction is a real advantage. Teeth that need to rotate or shift into place have less resistance to work against.
Iconix Esthetic Braces
If you want the precision of braces but you’re self-conscious about a mouth full of metal, Iconix brackets are worth asking about. The brackets are a champagne gold color that blends with natural tooth shading, noticeably more discreet than silver metal, without the fragility of ceramic brackets. A popular choice for working adults.
Invisalign
Invisalign uses a series of custom clear aligners to move teeth gradually. For crowding, it works well in mild to moderate cases — and “moderate” has expanded significantly as the technology has improved. There are crowding cases today that clear aligners handle easily that would have required braces ten or fifteen years ago.
For adults who want to treat crowding without any fixed hardware, Invisalign for adults is usually the starting conversation. For teens, Invisalign Teen includes compliance indicators and replacement aligners built into the package.
The honest caveat: some severe crowding cases, especially where teeth are significantly rotated or where a tooth is fully displaced, are still better handled with braces. Dr. Cortez and Dr. Welling will give you a straight answer on which approach makes more sense for your specific situation.
Early Treatment for Kids
If your child is showing crowding while they still have a mix of baby and permanent teeth, that’s actually a useful window. The jaw is still growing, and in some cases, expanding the jaw early creates enough space that later treatment is simpler, or sometimes avoids it entirely.
Bailey-Welling’s 7 & Up Kids Club monitors kids starting at age 7, which is exactly when you start seeing whether there’s enough room for permanent teeth to come in properly. Not every child who comes in at 7 needs treatment right away.
A lot of the time, we’re just monitoring, and that’s genuinely reassuring for parents to hear. But for kids who do have a narrow jaw or significant crowding developing early, two-phase treatment can make a real difference in how straightforward the final result is.
Do Crowded Teeth Need Extraction?
This is the question almost everyone has, and often the reason people put off making an appointment longer than they should.
The short answer is: most patients don’t need extractions. The majority of crowding cases, including cases that look quite severe, can be treated without removing permanent teeth.
There are a few ways to create space without extracting: expanding the arch, using the P21 self-ligating system to allow more natural tooth movement, or in some cases, IPR.
What is IPR? Interproximal reduction (also called slenderizing or stripping) involves gently removing a very small amount of enamel from between teeth, typically fractions of a millimeter. It sounds more dramatic than it is.
Does it hurt? Most patients describe it as a mild vibration, no numbing required, and it’s typically done in under five minutes. The procedure doesn’t damage the tooth structurally, and can create just enough space to allow teeth to align without removing anything. It’s commonly used alongside Invisalign and in cases where mild to moderate crowding would otherwise be right on the edge of requiring extraction.
There are situations where extraction is the right call, typically when crowding is severe enough that there genuinely isn’t room to move everything without creating bite or stability problems down the line.
In those cases, strategic removal of one or two premolars gives the remaining teeth room to settle into proper positions. It’s an irreversible decision, and Dr. Cortez and Dr. Welling don’t make it lightly. They’ll explain exactly why it’s being recommended and what the outcome looks like with and without it.
If you’ve been told by a previous provider that you need extractions and you’re not sure, a second opinion at a free consultation is always a reasonable thing to do.
How Crowded Teeth Affect Your Bite
Something worth understanding: treating crowding isn’t just about straightening the crowded teeth. When one tooth is out of position, it affects the teeth next to it and the teeth it bites against. The whole bite has to be considered.
This is why the orthodontic evaluation starts with X-rays and a full bite assessment, not just a visual look at the front teeth. Crowding that looks like a cosmetic issue at the front is sometimes connected to a bite issue that needs to be part of the treatment plan. Missing this step leads to results that look straighter but don’t function well, and that’s a problem you don’t want to discover after the braces come off.
What to Expect at Your Crowded Teeth Consultation
For a lot of people, the hardest part of getting orthodontic treatment is just walking through the door. Your first visit at Bailey-Welling Orthodontics in Bountiful isn’t a high-pressure sales appointment. It’s a conversation..
The welcome. The front desk team is genuinely warm, and if you bring kids, Ralphie (the office’s support dog) has a way of making the whole thing feel immediately less clinical.
Getting the full picture. You’ll get digital photos and X-rays so Dr. Cortez or Dr. Welling can see what’s actually happening beneath the surface: root health, jaw alignment, things a standard mirror check misses. This is where crowding cases that look simple sometimes reveal a bite issue worth knowing about.
The no-jargon exam. You’ll sit down with the doctor to look at your scans together. They’ll explain the why behind your crowding and give you a straight answer on whether treatment is necessary and what your options are.
Clear financials before you leave. Our team will review your specific insurance benefits. We work with most major Utah dental plans and give you a complete cost breakdown before you go. No vague estimates, no surprise fees later.
No obligation to start anything on day one. If you want to think it over, that’s fine.
If you’d rather get a preliminary read before coming in, the virtual exam lets you send photos from home and hear back from the team first.
Why Bountiful Families Choose Bailey-Welling Orthodontics for Crowded Teeth
Patients from Bountiful, Centerville, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful, and across Davis County come to Bailey-Welling Orthodontics because they want a treatment plan built around their actual situation, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Free consultations, digital X-rays and photos, and treatment options that include self-ligating braces, esthetic braces, Invisalign, and early intervention for kids. An independently owned practice that’s been in Davis County since 1971 and has 530+ combined five-star Google reviews from the families it serves. Want to see what crowding treatment results actually look like?
Browse our before and after gallery.
Meet Dr. Rett Cortez and Dr. Andrew Welling
Dr. Rett Cortez completed his dental degree at the University of Utah before going on to an orthodontic residency at Loma Linda University. He believes a confident smile has the power to genuinely change how people carry themselves, and that the experience of getting there should feel comfortable, not stressful. Dr. Cortez focuses on building real relationships with patients over the course of treatment, not just tracking progress appointment to appointment. Learn more about Dr. Cortez
Dr. Andrew Welling grew up in Bountiful and came back to practice here. He earned his DDS at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and went on to complete his orthodontic certificate and a master’s degree in orthodontics there as well, graduating summa cum laude from BYU before dental school with a 4.0 GPA. He has additional training in Invisalign, digital orthodontics, and smile aesthetics. He lives in Davis County with his wife and three kids, which means his patients aren’t just a professional category. They’re his neighbors.. Learn more about Dr. Welling
Bailey-Welling Orthodontics was founded by Dr. Grant Bailey in 1971. Over 50 years later, the practice he built is still independently owned and still serving the same Davis County communities. That continuity means something when you’re choosing who to trust with your family’s treatment.
I am a senior, and am beyond thrilled with the results that Bailey-Welling quickly accomplished in my smile using Invisalign! He corrected years of increasingly worse overcrowding in both my upper and lower teeth and eliminated my lifelong bad overbite all in less than 10 months! In just the first month, I could easily floss my teeth again, something that was problematic for decades. If you have reservations about your smile or are alarmed by the crowding happening to your teeth as you age — run, don’t walk to his office. I had previously gone to three other dentists who each turned me away due to what they all said were complex issues. The last dentist recommended Dr. Bailey saying, if anyone can do this, he can. Man, was he right.
I was so impressed with how my daughter’s smile turned out that I, at 40, went to Dr. Bailey for my own set of braces. The office atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The office manager knew more about my insurance benefits than I did — she filed my claims, kept me aware of what was being paid, and helped me set up a monthly payment schedule that worked. Dr. Bailey’s assistants always made us feel comfortable and at ease. It’s been a few years since my children got their braces off. Their teeth are still straight and beautiful. I would highly and gladly recommend this practice to anyone.
I loved my results! My teeth weren’t super crooked, but my smile was unaligned. I didn’t think my smile could be fixed without surgery, but when I found out it was possible, I was very excited to start. After just a little over a year, my teeth are completely straight and my smile is aligned. The orthodontists and assistants are very nice and it is very easy to make an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crowded Teeth in Bountiful, UT
Can crowded teeth be fixed without metal braces?
In mild to moderate cases, yes. Invisalign and other clear aligner systems can effectively treat many crowding cases without traditional braces. Whether clear aligners are right for your specific crowding depends on how severe it is, whether there’s also a bite issue involved, and a few other factors. Dr. Cortez and Dr. Welling will give you a clear answer at your free consultation.
Do crowded teeth need tooth extraction before braces or Invisalign?
Most patients don’t. The majority of crowding cases can be treated without removing permanent teeth, using methods like arch expansion, P21 self-ligating braces, or IPR (gently filing small amounts of enamel between teeth to create space). Extraction is reserved for cases where crowding is severe enough that there genuinely isn’t enough room to achieve a stable result without it. If a previous provider recommended extraction and you’re uncertain, a second opinion is always a reasonable step.
What is IPR and does it hurt?
IPR (interproximal reduction, sometimes called slenderizing) involves removing tiny amounts of enamel from between teeth — usually fractions of a millimeter — to create space for alignment. It’s typically painless because the outer layer of enamel doesn’t have nerve endings. You might feel slight pressure or vibration during the procedure. It’s commonly used alongside Invisalign and as an alternative to extraction in mild to moderate crowding cases.
Does crowding get worse with age?
For most people, yes. Teeth continue to shift throughout adulthood, and crowding that was mild in your twenties is often more pronounced by your forties. Lower front teeth are especially prone to this. They have a strong tendency to drift inward over time. If you had braces as a teen and stopped wearing your retainer, you may have already noticed this happening.
Can crowded teeth affect speech?
In some cases, yes. When teeth are significantly misaligned, certain sounds can be affected, particularly “s,” “th,” and “t,” which require the tongue to interact with the teeth and the roof of the mouth. A lisp or subtle slurring of certain sounds is sometimes connected to tooth position or bite. Correcting the alignment often improves these patterns, though speech is complex and not every crowding case affects it noticeably.
Should I see a dentist or an orthodontist for crowded teeth in Bountiful?
For anything beyond very mild cosmetic crowding, an orthodontist is the right specialist. Orthodontists complete two to three years of specialized residency training after dental school focused entirely on tooth movement, bite mechanics, and long-term stability.
General dentists can handle some mild cases, but complex crowding, especially when the bite is also affected, when multiple teeth need significant movement, or when extractions are being considered, calls for an orthodontist’s level of training. Bailey-Welling Orthodontics offers free consultations, so there’s no cost to getting a specialist’s read on your situation.
How long does crowding treatment take?
It depends on how much movement is needed and which treatment you choose. Mild crowding cases can sometimes be resolved in 12 months or less. More significant crowding typically takes 18–24 months. Kids who start with early Phase 1 treatment followed by full treatment later may have a longer overall timeline, but Phase 1 can make the eventual Phase 2 significantly simpler.
Is crowding treatment covered by insurance?
Many dental insurance plans include orthodontic benefits that apply to crowding treatment. The specific coverage varies by plan: how much, what’s included, whether it applies to adults or only to dependents. At your free consultation, Bailey-Welling will review your specific insurance benefits and tell you exactly what applies before you commit to anything.
Should my child see an orthodontist for crowded teeth at age 7?
It’s actually the right time. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic evaluation by age 7, not because most kids need treatment at 7, but because that’s when you can first see how permanent teeth are developing relative to available space. Some kids benefit from early intervention; others just need monitoring. Either way, you leave with a clear picture instead of guessing.