In order to help prevent teeth from shifting, the only option is to wear a retainer regularly to keep the teeth in their normal position. However, wearing a retainer will not help treat it. Replacing missing teeth with a single dental implant or a single tooth bridge are common treatment options for teeth drifting.
Once we've identified the cause of drifting teeth and treated it, we can work on restoring your smile to its former beauty and balance. We might do this with Invisalign, the orthodontic treatment with no wires or brackets. Or we may recommend porcelain veneers or other restorations, also known as instant orthodontics.
Teeth shifting – it's perfectly normal to experience this as you age. Unfortunately, it's not always comfortable, nor is it healthy. When your teeth shift and your bite changes, your dental health is in jeopardy. You can experience more dental issues, including dental decay, and gum disease.
As you get older, your jaw muscles, ligaments, tissues, and fibers surrounding your teeth can weaken. As a result, your teeth can loosen and shift. In some cases, changes to your facial features caused by age can place pressure on your teeth, pushing them inward.
Teeth are secured not directly into the bone, but with a tough but flexible ligament. This ligament allows the tooth to wiggle just a little bit. About a hundredth of an inch is normal, just enough that you might feel it move under significant pressure, but you shouldn't actually be able to see the movement.
Over time, ligaments, gum tissue, and bone start to weaken, causing teeth to shift more easily. Generally speaking, lower teeth begin to shift before upper teeth and bump against your upper teeth when you're chewing. This contact can wear away enamel and cause your top teeth to shift forward.
As mentioned, your teeth will shift slightly throughout your life. However, if you have had a tooth or teeth extraction, the surrounding teeth may shift to fill the space. There is no time length when this will occur, as it could happen over a matter of months or years.
Unfortunately, the natural process of aging can also affect the appearance of your teeth. Even if you were blessed with naturally straight teeth in your younger years or achieved a perfect smile through braces treatment, you may notice your teeth start to shift after age 40.
Eventually, your teeth will become more stable, but it's natural to experience minor shifts over time. To maintain a perfectly aligned smile, most people are advised to wear their retainers part-time for the rest of their lives.
Shifting teeth can even be caused by simple respiratory actions such as sneezing or coughing. No matter what the cause of your shifting teeth is, Invisalign can correct it.
It is not uncommon to have some pain when your teeth are moving. For most people, it is tolerable. In some cases, it might only happen when you eat something hot or cold. However, some people report discomfort when they wake up in the morning or after eating or talking.
Sometimes a tooth (usually a baby tooth) is pushed up into the gum. This is called an intruded tooth. If the baby tooth is intruded less than 50% of the crown length (the part you normally can see), then it will very likely re-erupt back into position with no problem. This takes a few months.
It's entirely normal for your teeth to shift with age. It happens slowly over time, often not causing any problems. In some cases, though, this movement can leave your smile less than straight and lead to a range of oral health issues later down the line.
As you get older, your lower jaw grows forward. At the same time, it becomes more narrow. This leads to teeth shifting in a few ways. First, when your lower jaw becomes more narrow, it can cause your lower teeth to crowd together and overlap.
Mix a tablespoon of salt in 6 ounces of warm water and swish vigorously around in your mouth. Continue this at least for a minute before you rinse, spit and repeat. This will draw out all that hidden bacteria effectively. Gradually, your gums will begin to strengthen and so will the loose tooth.
If a tooth is loose because of gum disease, it might tighten back up with consistent and proper dental hygiene. A deep cleaning with a hygienist called Scaling & Root Planing is typically the best treatment option. If a tooth is loose because of an injury, it likely won't tighten back up.
You don't want to brush your loose tooth, because this can loosen it even further. However, you can clean your mouth by swishing around some warm water. This will remove particles from the loosened tooth, and help reduce bacterial buildup.
NSAIDs block prostaglandin synthesis and result in slower tooth movement. Prostaglandins have been found to play a direct role in bone resorption. Aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, vadecoxib, and celecoxib are the commonly prescribed drugs.
If the gums are inflamed, they may start pulling away from the neck of the tooth. This causes gaps to form between the teeth and the gums, known as gum pockets (or periodontal pockets). At a more advanced stage, periodontitis can cause teeth to shift position, start wobbling or hurt when you chew.
Patients who have dental implants, bridges or TMJ disorder may not be the best candidates for Invisalign. If your teeth are on the smaller side or they're misshapen or eroded, Invisalign may not be practical.
Invisalign can't reshape your teeth, so if you have a few teeth that are very small or misshapen, it may not be possible to get Invisalign treatment. These improperly-shaped teeth can mess up the alignment of your aligners. However, you may be able to have these teeth treated with a dental crown or dental bonding.
Invisalign can only straighten teeth that have rotated up to 20 degrees. If your teeth are further rotated, you will need traditional braces to apply the appropriate rotational force. The dentist may still use Invisalign for twisted teeth or extremely rotated teeth.
While this method of teeth straightening isn't guaranteed to work, retainers are used at times for making very small corrections, which is why they can also be used if your teeth have moved to an abnormal position after the original appliance is taken out.