The following article has been medically reviewed for factual accuracies and current orthodontic practices by Dr. Febin Mary George, DDS.
Once you lose a retainer the timer starts on your teeth. It’s only a matter of time before they begin to shift back to their natural position based on their elastic memory. How long does it take for your teeth to shift? Let’s take a look at the factors and what you can do to prevent teeth from shifting.
Your teeth will not dramatically shift within a few weeks but they can begin the process of moving back to their natural position. This phenomenon is called elastic memory. Your teeth will try and revert back to their starting position before they were shifted with aligners, braces, or Invisalign. How long does it take for your teeth to shift will depend on a few factors.
The first factor is genetics. How severe were your teeth shifted by the braces? Did it take two years to get your teeth into the best position or was it six months? The more aggressive the treatments, the more likely you will see your teeth shifting back. The best way to combat against teeth shifting is with a retainer. These devices will fit snugly over your teeth while you sleep and prevent your teeth from moving. You’ll likely receive one from your dentist after completing aligners or braces.
Retainers don’t last forever and will likely need to be replaced once every year or so. As you should wear them every night, they can develop yellow spots or become worn out from the pressure by your teeth. When retainers become worn they are ineffective. This means your teeth are free to shift back into their natural positions again. You’ll need to get a replacement retainer as soon as this happens.
SportingSmiles offers replacement retainers that you can receive from the comfort and safety of your home and at half the cost of the dentist. By ordering the patented impression kit, you’ll take impressions ship them back to the SportingSmiles lab, and have them crafted with industry-leading technology and decades of technician experience. Depending on your processing selection, you can receive retainers in as little as seven days.
Teeth shifting can occur all at once or just one tooth. It can be one tooth shifting to make a gap or it can be multiple teeth beginning to shift back to their natural position. Don’t wait to find out how long does it take for your teeth to shift. Make sure you have a backup in hand for when your retainer is lost or stolen by the dog.
Retainers are your number one defense against teeth shifting and without them, your teeth are guaranteed to shift back. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had work done five weeks ago or 10 years ago, your teeth will shift back and they can begin shifting back within as little as three days depending on your genetics and how severe the work of your teeth straightening was.
Our best advice is to always keep a backup retainer on hand. SportingSmiles can save your impressions digitally and upload them to our secure computer system for you to reorder at your convenience. How long does it take for your teeth to shift depends on your genetics and the severity of your previous orthodontic work but a retainer is the ultimate defense in preventing teeth shifting.
