Are Your Teeth Shifting On You? Why it Happens & How to Stop It!

Are your teeth turning on you? If they are, don’t take it personally.

Teeth shifting happens. And it happens to many of us as we get older. It’s yet another test of time, just like body aches and frown lines.

Even if you had braces to straighten your teeth when you were younger, your teeth will eventually start shifting.

Why Do Teeth Shift?

So what exactly is shifting teeth? As we get older (and better looking!), our teeth will start shifting towards the front of the mouth. This can lead to new gaps forming between your teeth. You may also notice that your teeth are starting to crowd into one another, or they now overlap on neighboring teeth. This is usually more noticeable with lower teeth. Ok, so when does teeth shifting start to happen? Your teeth can start “turning” on you in your thirties.

Getting older isn’t the only cause of shifting teeth. Teeth grinding also contributes to teeth shifting, as do your family genes, gum disease, missing teeth, or having spaces between teeth. Even hormones from pregnancy can be a factor.

Teeth Shifting Affects More Than Your Smile

Ok, so what’s the big deal with shifting teeth? Besides creating an aesthetic issue for your smile (and any selfie moments), you shifting teeth can also harm the health of your teeth, as well as your overall health. It’s all connected, right?

When your teeth start crowding into one another, it makes it much more difficult to effectively floss between them to keep them free of food particles. This makes your teeth more susceptible to plaque build up. Plaque is the sticky bacteria that forms on your teeth. It’s #1 cause of tooth decay and gum disease. When built up plaque gets out of control, it leads to tooth loss, and promotes other serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, even Alzheimer’s.

How to Stop Your Teeth from Shifting

So, are you doomed to live with a smile that’s looking a little more crooked with each new birthday? Not at all!

You can correct and control your shifting teeth for cosmetic and health reasons. The good news is that teeth straightening isn’t for tweens and teens any more. Over 2 million adults are straightening their teeth every year. And dental technology for straightening teeth has come along way too. Most adults can now straighten their teeth without the hassle & discomfort of traditional metal braces. (You won’t have to experience any metal flashbacks!)

Invisalign Clear Aligners to the Rescue!

The Invisalign treatment uses plastic aligners that fit over your teeth. How does it work? A dental scan is used to create a series of custom designed aligners. These aligners fit comfortably over your teeth and are worn throughout the day and night. BUT, unlike metal braces, they can be taken out for eating, brushing & flossing (and for any selfies too!). Invisalign aligners will move teeth about a quarter of a millimeter at a time, and you wear each set of aligners anywhere from a week to a few weeks. Aligners are recommended to be worn 20-22 hours a day throughout your treatment.

Every Invisalign case differs based on the needs of the patient, but Invisalign treatments for adults typically run between 6 to 18 months. Follow up visits may run every 4-6 weeks, but patients will change their aligners about every 2 weeks. One study showed that aligners such as Invisalign adjusted shifting teeth up to 67% faster than metal braces – this, however, is only the case if people wear their aligners as instructed.

We recommend that you continue wearing your retainer when you  complete your treatment to help prevent your teeth from shifting again. Consider it a small inconvenience to highlight your smile and improve your health.

Ready to take on your shifting teeth? Learn more about Invisalign, and see how it can help fix the shift. Please schedule an Invisalign Consultation with us – call us at (206) 242-0066 or reach out to us online!

P.S. Here are 5 Reasons to Straighten Without Metal Braces!