Why does this happen, and what can you do about it? Here are a few things that can cause your
adult teeth to shift and what you can do to combat these unwanted changes in tooth position!

Mesial Drift Can Cause Shifting

Mesial Drift is a term used to describe the way the teeth move ever so slightly towards the
front of your mouth as you get older. Researchers aren’t sure why this happens, but suspect it
may have something to do with the shorter lifespans of our ancestors as well as tooth loss.
In other words, the remaining teeth may shift to compensate the loss of a tooth to make
chewing easier. Since our ancestors lived shorter lives, teeth shifting wouldn’t have mattered as
much. However, since people live well into their 80s and beyond today, teeth shifting can
become a problem.

Teeth That Received Orthodontics Can Shift

Did you wear braces when you were younger, or even in your adult life? If so, you’ll need to
wear your retainer as directed by your orthodontist for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, your
perfect smile won’t stay that way for long if you don’t wear your retainer.

Your retainer reminds your teeth where they belong, otherwise they’ll shift back to their
original positions and you could end up needing orthodontic care again. Teeth that received
orthodontic treatment are more susceptible to dramatic shifting because the teeth will attempt
to revert back to their old positions.

Losing a Tooth

If you lose one tooth or several teeth, shifting will happen naturally over time. You may not see
any changes right away, but eventually your mouth will move the rest of the teeth to fill the
space of the lost tooth. This could cause functional problems with your teeth as well as an
unpleasant appearance.

What Can You Do?

There’s not much you can do to stop Mesial Drift, and as long as you take care of your teeth, it’s
not likely that Mesial Drift will affect your smile too much. However, if you have had braces,
your teeth may try to move back into their original positions, making it imperative that you
wear your retainer.

If you lose a tooth, getting it replaced as soon as possible can help you avoid problems with
shifting. If you need to get braces again as an adult—or if this is your first time having
them—don’t worry. Having Invisalign or braces can help your smile look as natural and
beautiful as possible. Orthodontic treatment can also help prevent teeth from shifting with
regular wear of a retainer.

Have your teeth shifted since you’ve gotten a little older or since you had braces? Adult teeth
do shift, so don’t be surprised if you don’t necessarily notice this change over time. To prevent
shifting, wear your retainer, or if you need braces, consider orthodontics or Invisalign as an
adult. Your smile can still be beautiful for life despite adult teeth shifting!

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After your time with braces, you want to keep your smile as straight and beautiful as possible for life. How can you ensure that your smile looks its best after your orthodontic care?

Wear Your Retainer

Your orthodontist will have your retainer ready for you on the day your braces are taken off. Retainers are often made of wire and plastic and are uniquely shaped to fit your smile perfectly. You’ll need to wear these little trays every day and night for a full six months after getting your braces off. After six months, you’ll still need to continue wearing your retainer for a while. How long? Orthodontists recommend wearing your retainer nightly for life in order to maintain your straight smile and keep your teeth from shifting!

Get Regular Dental Checkups

Getting checkups with your dentist can also be an opportunity for you to check in with your dentist regarding your retainer. Your retainer may need to be replaced or may not fit correctly. If this is the case, bring your retainer with you and talk to your dentist or orthodontist about getting a replacement.

If you stop wearing your retainer, chances are your teeth will shift, so it’s imperative that it fits correctly and is comfortable to wear at night. Getting regular dental exams can also ensure that your teeth haven’t shifted and that your retainer is doing its job!

Take Care of Your Retainer

You’ll need to brush your retainer every day in order to remove bacteria and plaque that can build up on the surfaces of the retainer. Always store your retainer in a safe place—your orthodontist has likely given you a small, hard case to store it in. Keep it in a familiar place in this protective case!

Losing your retainer could end up being a costly replacement, so always keep it at home when you wear it nightly. When you remove it, always put it back in its case. By taking care of your retainer, you help to take care of your smile and keep your teeth straight and pretty.

Practice Excellent Oral Care

Maintaining the same great oral care habits that you had while receiving orthodontic treatment can help prevent tooth loss. Losing teeth will provoke shifting among the remaining teeth in your mouth, so taking the best possible care of your smile is crucial to prevent this from happening.

Pay attention to any changes in your smile—whether you notice food getting stuck in odd places or shifting teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist if you notice any changes. Brushing twice daily for two minutes and flossing between your beautiful teeth can keep them clean and free of decay!

Taking care of your smile doesn’t stop just because your braces are off. Keeping your teeth straight, beautiful, and healthy is easy when you check in with your dentist, wear and take care of your retainer, and practice great oral care habits. Enjoy your new smile for life!

Image courtesy of yodiyim at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The post Keeping Your Teeth Beautiful and Straight After Braces appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Hard or sticky candies such as peppermints, caramels, gummy bears, or taffy are not safe for your braces! These destructive sweets not only increase your risk for cavities, but they can also get lodged in your braces and be difficult to remove. They can even cause brackets or rings to come loose! Hard candy can be replaced with soft, delicious ice cream! Ice cream also tends to be high in calcium, which can help strengthen your teeth. Look for ice creams with limited added sugar such as sorbet, fruit pops, or even dairy-free alternatives like coconut milk ice cream.

Crunchy Cereal: Replace with a Smoothie

Those crunchy breakfast cereals are a popular morning staple—but they’re also hard to chew with your tender teeth! You can replace morning cereal with a smoothie which will be gentle on your smile and full of nutrients! You can add vegetables, fruits, and milk or yogurt for a delicious and healthy alternative to that crunchy cereal.

Apples and Firm Fruits: Replace with Soft Fruits

Biting into an apple or another firm fruit can seem impossible with your braces, and should be avoided in order to prevent damage to your orthodontia. However, you have plenty of options when it comes to soft fruits! You can replace with melons, mangoes, bananas, kiwi, and even yogurt or applesauce. Fruit combined with yogurt makes a great snack, dessert, or even a breakfast treat and can be soothing on your tender smile!

Raw Crunchy Vegetables: Replace with Soups

Raw veggies such as carrots and celery are great for you—but they can be difficult to crunch into with your braces! Try replacing raw vegetables with cooked ones, such as in a soup! Mashed potatoes also make a great meal addition and are super easy to eat with braces.

Hard Breads, Crackers, or Pretzels: Replace with Soft Breads or Pasta

Crunchy breads, hard pretzels, and crunchy crackers are a favorite among many people. These can be difficult to eat and can damage your braces, so try to stay away from them! You can replace them with softer breads, soft pretzels, and even pasta. Pasta is often easy to eat and can be versatile—macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, lasagna, even cold in pasta salads can be easy and tasty to consume with your braces.

Tough Meats: Replace with Tender Meats, Stews, or Eggs

Chewing on meat isn’t always easy on your teeth when you’re receiving orthodontic treatment. These tough meats are easily caught in your braces and can injure your smile! Instead of tough meats such as steak or even breaded meats like fried chicken, replace with tender meats: soft turkey, beef or ham stew, or baked chicken. You can also take advantage of hard-boiled, scrambled, or fried eggs—these are easy to eat with braces.

When it comes to food, you can make smart choices and replace some of the tougher foods you used to eat with safe alternatives: so pick this, not that with your orthodontic treatment!

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Braces provide lots of different, little spaces for food to get trapped, so keeping up with proper brushing and flossing is absolutely essential during your orthodontic treatment. That being said, hard brushing is not the answer, and can harm your gums, teeth, and braces. Choose a toothbrush that’s softer, and remember—proper brushing is better than harder brushing. Gently brushing your teeth as well as doing your best to brush around your braces and all their parts is vital. Remember that while you should be gentle with your toothbrush, your braces will not be gentle on your toothbrush; therefore, it will need to be replaced more often during your orthodontic care.

Flossing with Braces

Flossing at least once a day both during your time with braces and post-braces is ideal. Again, gentle is the name of the game here. Using a floss threader can greatly help you get the floss under the wire that goes through your braces and in between your teeth. The best part is that they can be reused! Flossing helps to remove food that gets trapped in the tight spaces that braces create, therefore keeping your mouth clean and healthy while you have your braces.

Eating Right

Although your diet will likely be able to remain the same while receiving orthodontic care, there are certain foods that are best avoided while you’re getting your teeth straightened out! These include candies like gummy bears and caramels that can get stuck and damage your braces. Very hard foods such as nuts can damage your braces as well. Softer foods will be ideal, especially after an adjustment. Many chewy and processed foods like bagels, lollipops, and hard candies don’t make for good eating while you have braces. If you do eat them, be gentle and chew with care.

Caution with Biting

Chewing or biting on objects is a no-no without braces—so it’s definitely in the forbidden category while you have braces! Objects like pencils and ice can be very damaging to your teeth. Even biting your nails isn’t a healthy practice. You’ll also want to exercise caution with foods like apples that require you to bite into them. Until you become used to your braces, cut up your fruit and be cautious about biting into food such as chicken wings!

Having braces is an important step in having healthy teeth with a proper bite. Caring for your braces isn’t difficult, but you should be gentle with your mouth while eating, brushing, and flossing. And remember that chewing on objects is never good for your teeth. With proper care, your braces can do their job and give you a beautiful smile!

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