Why Do Teeth Shift Over Time? Causes and Solutions
(Part 4 )
Why Teeth Shift Back or Relapse After Wearing Braces
If you’ve worn braces or undergone orthodontic procedures for correcting malocclusion or tooth/jaw alignment gone awry, this means your teeth have been moved from their natural positions.
Therefore, like a rubber band, their supporting periodontal ligaments and the fibrous joint gomphosis will snap back or “relapse” back to their original placement unless you use a retainer to “retain” their new shape.
This is a natural consequence. This is also the reason why retainers are needed after undergoing orthodontic procedures such as:
- Metal braces
- Ceramic braces
- Lingual braces
- Self-ligating braces
- Clear aligners (Invisalign)
Once you remove your braces or stop wearing your aligners, your teeth will start to shift back to their original positions. This comes on a case-by-case basis. Some people have more pronounced movements compared to others with little movement.
Some tooth movement should also happen to those who’ve gotten lingual or fixed retainers after getting some orthodontics work.
According to the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, most of the time the shifting occurs if one of the bonds of the retainer breaks or there’s improper retainer bondage.
Therefore, it’s important to avail yourself of the services of a quality internationally trained dentist with world-class results when getting orthodontics work done.
One other reason for shifting teeth after braces removal involves the health of your jawbone and gums. If gum disease has caused your jaw to suffer from bone loss, then it becomes harder for your teeth to stay anchored in one place.
Braces can only do so much. The rest is up to how healthy your gums, periodontal ligaments, and supporting dental structures are.