Aches, pains and frown lines, oh my. It’s not easy getting older, and now there’s one more item to contend with: Shifting teeth.
What, teeth shifting!? Yes, your teeth shift as you get older. Even if you had orthodontic intervention when you were younger to have your teeth straightened with braces, your teeth will start to move again.
Shifting teeth is unfortunately as normal a phenomenon with age, as having back pain after a weekend of working on the house or garden. It’s a fact of life.
So what exactly is shifting teeth? As we get older (and wiser!), our teeth start to move towards the front of our mouth. This may create gaps between the teeth, or crowding, where teeth begin to overlap on their neighboring teeth – often noticeable with our lower teeth. When does shifting start happening? Shifting can start in your thirties.
Besides aging, there are other factors that can contribute to teeth shifting, such as teeth grinding, genetics, gum disease, tooth loss, spaces between teeth and even hormones from pregnancy.
Shifting teeth can create an aesthetic problem, as well as harm your health. Crowding teeth are more difficult to floss between, so they are more susceptible to plaque building up. What’s the big deal with plaque? This sticky bacteria that forms on your teeth is the number one cause of tooth decay and gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss, as well as promote other serious health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, even Alzheimer’s.
Are you doomed to live with a grin that’s getting a little more crooked with every additional candle to your b-day cake? No. If you decide that you do want to battle the sands of time, and correct your shifting teeth for aesthetic and health reasons, you can do it. The shift is fixable.
If you decide to straighten your teeth as an adult, you’ll be in good company. About 2 million adults are being treated for teeth straightening every year.
Here are Some Teeth Straightening Options:
Traditional Wire Braces – These metal braces are made of stainless steel attach separately on each of your teeth. Wire braces are popular and effective, but they are not removable and will create some challenges for your dental hygiene , as well as for some of the foods you eat – not too crunchy or sticky, like popcorn, apples or gummy bears,will need to be avoided during treatment. Braces can come in different colors and treatment time varies for each adult; on average, an adult wears braces from 18 months to 3 years. Follow up visits are usually every 4-6 weeks. Anything else? Besides feeling out of place sharing a waiting room with a bunch of teens, some adults, who wore metal braces when they were younger, may experience flashback moments.
Invisalign Aligners – Another option to consider us Invisalign, which uses plastic aligners that fit over your teeth. For this straightening treatment, a dental scan is used, which will create a series of custom designed aligners. While these need to be worn day and night, they can be taken out for eating, brushing & flossing (and for selfies too!). Invisalign aligners will move teeth about a quarter of a millimeter at a time, and each set of aligners is worn anywhere from a week to a few weeks. Aligners are recommended to be worn 20-22 hours a day throughout treatment. While each case differs based on the needs of the patient, Invisalign treatments for adults typically run between 6 to 18 months. Follow up visits may run every 4-6 weeks, but patients will change their aligners about every 2 weeks. One study claims that aligners such as Invisalign can adjust shifting teeth up to 67% faster than braces, but this is only the case if people wear their aligners as instructed by their dentist. P.S. Here are 7 ways Invisalign Can Help!
Whichever teeth straightening treatment you choose, it’s a good idea to continue wearing the retainer at night, as this will help prevent your teeth from shifting again. A small price to pay father time.
Ready to take on teeth shifting? Learn more about Invisalign, and see how it can help fix the shift. Schedule a Free Invisalign Consultation – call (206) 524-1000 or request an appointment online.