Why Do Teeth Shift as We Get Older?
Key Takeaways
- Teeth naturally shift as we age. The bone and ligaments supporting our teeth continually change, allowing teeth to move gradually throughout adulthood. Crowding of the lower front teeth is especially common.
- Several factors can cause teeth to shift. In addition to natural aging, gum disease, missing teeth, and not wearing a retainer after orthodontic treatment can contribute to tooth movement.
- You can help prevent unwanted tooth movement. Wearing your retainer as prescribed, maintaining healthy gums, and addressing missing teeth can help. New or noticeable shifting should be evaluated by a dentist.
Anyone who “forgets” to wear a retainer after braces can confirm: Teeth can continue to shift throughout your lifetime. But even if you’ve never had orthodontic treatment, teeth becoming more crowded or crooked over time doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong—some gradual shifting is common and normal.
But why do teeth shift as we get older, and when should you be concerned?
“Teeth aren't cemented in place—they sit in living bone and ligament that are constantly remodeling throughout our life,” says Alexandra Tsigardia, D.D.S., M.S., a gum disease specialist at Eastman Institute for Oral Health.
Chewing, swallowing, and even the resting pressure of the tongue and lips keep nudging them. So some slow drifting, especially crowding of the lower front teeth, is a normal part of getting older.
But it’s important to know the habits affecting your teeth and how to tell when shifting requires treatment.
When Shifting Teeth Are a Concern
For many people, shifting teeth is primarily a cosmetic concern. For others, it’s a sign of an underlying problem. New or noticeable movement deserves a dental evaluation, especially when it occurs with signs that the gums or other tissues may be unhealthy. Those signs include:
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Gumline recession or gums pulling away from the teeth
- Gums that feel tender or sore
- Loose or sensitive teeth
- Pain when you bite or chew
- Changes in the way your upper and lower teeth fit together when you bite
- New gaps or flaring of the teeth
Can Shifting Teeth Be Fixed?
The right treatment depends on why your teeth have moved and whether your dentist also needs to treat an underlying injury or disease, such as:
- Periodontitis: Treatment focuses first on controlling the disease and protecting the tissues that support the teeth. Periodontal care may include professional deep cleaning and additional treatment for more advanced disease
- Missing teeth: Replacement options include a bridge, denture, or dental implant
- Retainer lapse: Adult orthodontics, including braces and clear aligners to get treatment results back on track
Considering Dental Implants?
Can You Prevent Teeth from Shifting?
You can’t prevent your teeth from ever shifting, but you can reduce preventable shifting by keeping your gums healthy, addressing missing or broken teeth, and protecting the results of orthodontic treatment by wearing your retainer as prescribed.
Some other steps you can take include:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time
- Cleaning between your teeth by flossing daily
- Keeping regular dental appointments so your dentist can monitor changes and catch early signs of problems
- Wearing your retainer for as long and as often as your orthodontist recommends
- Having your teeth evaluated if you have missing teeth, grind your teeth, or clench your jaw
At the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, patients throughout the Greater Rochester region can receive a customized smile makeover that combines cosmetic and restorative dental treatments. You’ll work with a multidisciplinary team with expertise in cosmetic dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant dentistry, oral surgery, and more.
Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Crowding?
Wisdom teeth may contribute to crowding for some people, but research suggests they are only one factor and do not fully explain crowding over time.
What Causes Teeth to Shift?
Not Wearing Your Retainer
If your teeth shifted after orthodontic alignment, inconsistent retainer use might be why. Most people need some form of long-term retainer, whether fixed or removable, to help keep teeth in the positions created by braces or aligners. Over time, your teeth can shift so much that the old retainer no longer fits.
This issue is more common than you might think. A University of Kentucky study that followed patients for up to six years after orthodontic treatment found that adherence decreased the longer patients had been out of treatment.
Gum Disease
“Loose teeth and changes in how the teeth fit are well-established, literature-supported signs of periodontal disease,” says Dr. Tsigardia.
Gum Disease vs. Periodontal Disease—What’s the Difference?
Learn the difference, how to prevent them, and where to seek expert gum care when you need it.
Periodontitis damages the gums and bone that hold our teeth in place, leaving them without needed support. Teeth may begin to flare outward or spread apart, creating new gaps or changing the way your bite fits together.
As the disease becomes more severe, teeth can feel almost like the wiggly teeth you experienced as a child before losing your baby teeth and may eventually be lost.
Periodontitis is not an inevitable part of aging, but it becomes more common and can become more severe as we get older. Age-related changes can also increase our susceptibility. Our immune system may become less effective at controlling harmful bacteria, while our tissues can become less efficient at healing and repair.
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
Grinding or clenching your teeth, also known as bruxism, doesn’t cause teeth to shift on their own. But the repeated pressure can contribute to tooth movement, especially if you have gum disease, bone loss, or another dental problem.
Teeth clenching and grinding can cause tooth wear, fractures, pain, and changes in the way the teeth and jaw come together. However, bruxism does not appear to play as significant a role in shifting teeth as gum disease or skipping your retainer.
Missing Teeth
When you lose a permanent tooth, the teeth around the space can begin to shift. A missing tooth can change the way you chew and how those chewing forces affect the surrounding teeth.
One possible change is opposing-tooth extrusion, which happens when the tooth directly opposite the missing one (the “antagonist”) moves into the open space without a partner to bite against.
Over time, bone loss can also occur where the tooth is missing, further changing the structures that support the remaining teeth.
Is a Smile Makeover Right for You?
The Smile Makeover experts at Eastman Institute for Oral Health use the latest technologies to digitally plan your perfect smile. Schedule a consultation to see what’s possible.
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