crooked teeth / summer teeth

[pinkie9]

Hi,
I'm looking for an expression to mean "crooked teeth", like those that need a dental bridge. A person who has all teeth, no cavity, but the teeth are just misaligned.
Could anybody please tell me other expressions than "crooked" and "misaligned"?

A friend of mine suggested "summer teeth", but this site says it means "missing teeth either by extraction or rotten from poor hygiene". So I guess it's not correct when the person has all teeth.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=summer%20teeth&defid=2767374

Any help appreciated? (I won't use it as a derogatory remark. I just want to describe that there are many such people in Japan, where the situation is different from the US and having croocked teeth doesn't mean they are poor or anything here. And I don't want to repeat "crooked" "misaligned" many times in my explanation, so I need to increase my vocabulary.)

[Raymott]

Hi,
I'm looking for an expression to mean "crooked teeth", like those that need a dental bridge. A person who has all teeth, no cavity, but the teeth are just misaligned.
Could anybody please tell me other expressions than "crooked" and "misaligned"?

A friend of mine suggested "summer teeth", but this site says it means "missing teeth either by extraction or rotten from poor hygiene". So I guess it's not correct when the person has all teeth.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=summer%20teeth&defid=2767374

Any help appreciated? (I won't use it as a derogatory remark. I just want to describe that there are many such people in Japan, where the situation is different from the US and having croocked teeth doesn't mean they are poor or anything here. And I don't want to repeat "crooked" "misaligned" many times in my explanation, so I need to increase my vocabulary.)

There are disadvantages to using too many "synonyms" in your article. For example, will the reader understand when you use "misaligned teeth" or "asymmetrical teeth", etc. that you really only mean "crooked teeth", but are using different words only for variation? Or will they wonder what all these distinctions you are making mean?

Another way to avoid repetition is to use phrases such "teeth like this", "such teeth", "this type of dentition", etc. in places where it's obvious that these phrases refer to "crooked teeth".

PS: I don't know of any common slang terms for crooked teeth.

[pinkie9]

Thank you for your reply, Raymott.
Okay, I won't use many synonyms in my explanation.

But I still want to (1) increase my vocabulary and (2) obtain confirmation from a native speaker that "summer teeth" is different from "crooked teeth".
Could anyone help me please?

[emsr2d2]

Thank you for your reply, Raymott.
Okay, I won't use many synonyms in my explanation.

But I still want to (1) increase my vocabulary and (2) obtain confirmation from a native speaker that "summer teeth" is different from "crooked teeth".
Could anyone help me please?

Given the definition in the Urban Dictionary, which you quoted, yes, "summer teeth" are different.

"Summer teeth" appears to mean that the person has some teeth missing, whether naturally or because they have been extracted by a dentist. They must have fewer than the usual 32 adult teeth and that must be obvious when they smile.

"Crooked teeth" simply means that they are misaligned, not completely straight. A person can have all 32 teeth but they are crooked in their mouth.

I would like to say that until today I had never heard "summer teeth" in my entire life and given its appearance in the dictionary of urban slang, I wouldn't say it's used in everyday speech. I do have to admit that I rather like how it came about though ("The teeth - some are there and some are not" with a pun on "some are" sounding like "summer").

[5jj]

I've never heard of 'summer teeth either. Has anybody?

[Barb_D]

Nope.

A bridge, however, is not used for crooked teeth.

[JohnParis]

I would like to say that until today I had never heard "summer teeth" in my entire life and given its appearance in the dictionary of urban slang, I wouldn't say it's used in everyday speech. I do have to admit that I rather like how it came about though ("The teeth - some are there and some are not" with a pun on "some are" sounding like "summer").

No, I've never heard of the expression before now.
I too share emsr2d2's like of the provenance of the term. Would summer hair work?
J

[pinkie9]

Thank you, everyone.

A bridge, however, is not used for crooked teeth.

What do you call the appliance used for crooked teeth then?
Orthodontic wires? Braces? Orthodontic appliances? What is the difference between a bridge and them?

Would summer hair work?

[Barb_D]

In the US, we call the things we affix to our teeth and connect with wires "braces."

My younger daughter has braces.

You can look up "dental bridge" for a more complete understanding.

[emsr2d2]

In BrE, we usually say "brace" (singular) for the metal bars on the teeth. "My sister went to the dentist and she was told she has to wear a brace."

"Braces" are the elastic shoulder straps which (usually men) attach to the trousers to hold them up.

Just to make this more confusing, in AmE, those "braces" are called "suspenders". In BrE, "suspenders" are worn by women as an undergarment - the belt/clip contraption which holds up your "stockings".

That's also known as a "suspender belt" in BrE, and in AmE, a "garter belt".