Can Teeth Shift After Braces?

If you’ve recently had your braces off, you may be thinking you are done with orthodontia. Unfortunately, this may not be true. Teeth may shift at any time, whether or not you’ve had braces.

Can Teeth Shift After Braces?

If you have had braces already, you’ll need to maintain superb oral health habits to help keep your teeth straight. But even if you have a permanent retainer or you diligently wear your removable retainer as directed, you might still need to consider another orthodontic round later in your life. For one reason or another, many patients who had braces as children or teenagers need to straighten their teeth again as adults with braces or clear aligner therapy.

Why Do Teeth Shift?

Teeth can shift throughout a patient's life for a variety of reasons. Contributing factors include, but are not limited to:

• The inherent flexibility of the periodontal ligaments that anchor the teeth in place
• The tendency of teeth to drift forward with advancing age
• Missing teeth
• An orofacial myofunctional disorder, like an untreated tongue thrust
• Anything that alters a person's teeth shape or bite, such as chronic teeth grinding, poor oral hygiene, a highly acidic diet, or the eruption of the wisdom teeth

What to Do If Your Teeth Move

Some mistakenly think that the only time to get braces is in childhood, but an orthodontist can help correct a misalignment problem at any point in your life. Whether you have mild, moderate, or severe misalignment, it's not too late to fix! At Summit Family Orthodontics, we provide solutions for patients of all ages. We will create a personalized treatment plan to help you achieve the straight smile of your dreams. So if you've noticed your teeth aren't as aligned as they once were, we're here to help. Contact us today to schedule your orthodontic consultation.

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