You, or your parents, have spent years and a lot of money to get your teeth into perfect alignment and now you see that they are shifting back to their former position. The big question on your mind is most likely: Can retainers fix a slight shift of teeth after braces? The simple answer to this question is yes. But, more than giving you a simple answer, it’s important for you to understand how the slight shift occurred and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
MAINTAINING YOUR SMILE AFTER BRACES
Why Teeth Shift after Braces:
It was the tension applied through your braces that forced your teeth to move into their straightened positions. When that pressure is removed, your gums …show more content…
You will be instructed on how to wear your retainer, when to wear it, and how to care for it. After your gums and bone have stabilized around your new teeth positioning, the amount of time you need to wear a retainer may be reduced.
RETAINERS TO THE RESCUE FOR SHIFTING TEETH
Why do teeth shift?
Throughout your lifetime, your body continues to change. This is also true for your gums and bones. Even if you never wore braces, it is a normal occurrence for your teeth to shift as you age. But, if you did wear braces when you were very young, your jawline may not have been fully developed and it continued to develop over time.
After your braces were removed, you were given a retainer to wear to hold your teeth in their perfectly correct position. You were told about the value of a retainer and how it can continue to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.
How to fix a slight shifting of teeth after braces?
If you stopped wearing your retainer, or did not follow your orthodontist’s wearing schedule, you may notice a slight shifting of your teeth back towards their original misaligned position. This shifting has been occurring for some time before you actually see the change. Don’t wait for your next appointment, see your orthodontist as soon as