Our teeth are constantly being used to either eat or talk throughout the day. With constant wear-and-tear, the jaw and teeth are susceptible to movement at any point in an individual’s lifetime. Here are 4 reasons from Dr. Jennnifer Yue for why your once-perfectly-lined-up teeth have suddenly shifted.

Giving Teeth the Shaft—And Not Replacing Them
When there is a tooth which used to occupy space in the mouth that is removed (due to an accident or unrestorable fracture or decay), the surrounding teeth will naturally tend to move into the extra space. Bridges and or implant restorations can be the perfect solution to keep teeth in balance and in place.

Grinding May Lead to Shifting
Excessive force like grinding can cause teeth to move. Depending on the tooth morphology and position, some teeth may move more easily than others and extra forces on the teeth can traumatize them, allowing them to move. People often unknowingly grind their teeth throughout the night. Some symptoms of grinding are possible looser teeth, jaw clicking, sore or tight jaw muscles, and worn enamel surfaces. Nightguards are the perfect way to prevent excessive tooth wear from grinding.

(Unknowingly) Sabotaging Teeth Post-Orthodontic Treatment
Whether your child had braces or you had Invisalign later in life, failing to follow through with the proper dental care and treatments could ruin all of the money (and time) you spent creating a beautiful and straight smile. Because teeth are most stable in their natural spots, moving them with these orthodontic treatments puts them into a less stable position. Although their NEW position looks a million times better, it’s important to follow up your braces/Invisalign with some sort of retainer treatment.

Gum Disease Can Create a Sticky Situation
You may know that flossing and rinsing with mouthwash can help prevent gum disease, but did you know that certain gum disease, specifically periodontal disease, can cause teeth to shift? In addition to causing inflammation and infection in the tissues that surround your teeth, periodontal disease also causes bone loss over your teeth. When this happens, your teeth have less support, which will cause the teeth to shift and may even create spaces in your smile.

Here at Dr. Jennifer Yue’s Friendly Dentistry, we offer services that can help you regain or retain your smile. Everybody’s smile deserves to be beautiful and healthy, and this is what we are here for. Dr. Yue says give us a call today at (610) 644-8815 or come visit us at 23 Paoli Pike Suite 100 Paoli, PA 19301. We look forward to hearing from you!