typically, with one slightly crooked tooth what is involved in trying to straighten it? braces?

Answer 1

Ask your dentist. You might be able to use a removeable appliance that would be relatively inexpensive to fix a minor problem.

Answer 2

Your dentist can get a mold of your teeth and order a retainer. It will be a lot less expensive than a whole mouthful of braces. Sometimes they won't be able to do that though if the top and bottom teeth aren't alligned eventhough they look straight.