The following article has been medically reviewed for factual accuracies and current orthodontic practices by Dr. Febin Mary George, DDS.
Whether you’ve had aligners or orthodontic work done in the past, your teeth can shift at any point in your life for numerous reasons. Teeth shifting can be prevented but it’s important to understand why teeth shift, to begin with. Why are my teeth shifting? Let’s look at the reasons behind this annoying and expensive phenomenon.
Teeth are one of the most essential tools of the human body. They help break down food, form words, and protect our tongue. They are also the first feature that others notice, so keeping your smile at its best is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Teeth shifting can cause a perfect smile to fade away.
If you’ve had aligners or braces, your teeth were shifted professionally into the perfect position by a dentist. Once the braces or aligners come off you may have a great smile but your teeth will soon be on the move. Why are my teeth shifting? It’s because of elastic memory. Teeth will always want to return to their natural position no matter how much time has passed from orthodontic work. It’s just an unfortunate trait of teeth but almost all of them have elastic memory. Some may shift quicker than others causing gaps in your smile while others may only shift minimally.
The good news is that after aligners or braces your dentist will give you a retainer. This device is your best defense against teeth shifting. It’s a snug device that you wear while you sleep and it tricks your teeth into thinking they are in their natural position. The more you wear your retainer the better. Your teeth may begin to shift if you don’t wear your retainer. Teeth shifting varies from person to person but teeth can begin to shift in as little as two weeks without a retainer, especially if you’ve just had work done.
Teeth can also shift with age. Even if you haven’t had aligners or braces, teeth can begin to shift due to genetics or stress. Teeth grinding is a nasty habit that causes many issues. While not common, it can cause your teeth to move a bit with all the force of your jaw. As you age, your teeth will move gradually. This is minimal but if you pay attention, you can see the difference. A tiny gap between teeth may be just a bit wider in ten years.
Why are my teeth shifting? It’s likely because you aren’t wearing a retainer if you’ve had orthodontic work. No retainer means no defense against teeth shifting. If you’ve lost your retainer or if it’s too worn or gross, there are replacement options. Going to the dentist will require an expensive in-person visit that will cost hundreds of dollars. SportingSmiles offers the same premium retainers for half the cost of the dentist and no need to leave the comfort of your home. With the patented impression kit, you’ll take impressions and ship them back to the SportingSmiles dental lab. Our technicians will craft replacement retainers for you and keep your teeth from shifting.
It’s important to get a backup or replacement set of retainers as soon as possible because the longer you wait, the more at risk your teeth are for shifting. Why are my teeth shifting? They won’t be when you wear a retainer! Even if you’ve never had orthodontic work before and you want to keep your teeth exactly the way they are, you can order a retainer to wear at night.
