Why Are My Teeth Shifting Even Though I Had Braces?

Now that you’ve spent months or years avoiding your favorite sticky and chewy foods and flossing between the wires of your braces, the hard work has paid off. Your orthodontics are off, and your Insta-worthy smile is here.

But after a while, you’ve noticed that one or more of your teeth are moving again. What’s going on?

This behavior is called “orthodontic relapse.” It happens when your teeth shift after wearing braces, often because you haven’t worn your retainer long enough.

How can you keep your hard-earned smile and stop teeth shifting after braces from happening to you?

This blog explains everything you need to know about why orthodontic relapse happens, how to prevent it, and what to do if your teeth are already shifting.

Why Your Teeth Are So Moveable

Your mouth is made up of various parts, including your teeth and jaw. These two features are connected together by the periodontal ligament (PDL), which attaches each tooth to the jawbone (mandible). 

Ligaments are formed from collagen and connective tissue. They act like a rubber band, stretching when necessary to reduce the shock of:

• Chewing
• Grinding
• External impacts

Ligaments also play a vital role in straightening your teeth when you invest in orthodontic treatments like braces and Invisalign. Both of these methods encourage teeth to shift into their “proper” positions by applying gentle, consistent pressure over time.

While braces use fixed wires and brackets to enforce this movement, Invisalign utilizes custom-made, clear aligners that slide over the teeth. Braces stay in place for a set period, often 1-3 years, but Invisalign trays are removable. As your teeth shift with the treatment, new trays are created in a series of changing movements.

Orthodontic treatment works because it harnesses the power of the periodontal ligament. The rubber band-like tissues stretch, pulling the teeth into their new positions.

But this elasticity can backfire if you’re not careful. The flexibility that allows your teeth to move into a better position can also cause them to revert to their old spots. 

This concern is why your orthodontist is so adamant that you wear your retainer! Those stretchy tissues are fickle and can shrink back into their original positions months or years after removing your braces. Wearing a retainer for at least six months or a year post-braces or Invisalign encourages the PDL to stay in its new home.

Read this: What to Do When Your Retainer Doesn’t Fit Anymore

Why Your Teeth May Shift 

Still, even if you were diligent with wearing your retainer and following your orthodontist’s orders, your teeth can shift anyway. This happens with or without a history of braces. 

Certain risk factors make you more prone to teeth shifting, such as:

• Age: As we get older, we naturally lose bone density. When this happens to your jawbone, the teeth move out of their original place.
• Genetics: If your parents and grandparents had shifting teeth, you may have the genes that predispose you to this issue.
• Teeth grinding at night: Teeth grinding, or bruxism, causes tooth enamel to wear down. This can change your bite, shifting your teeth.
• Dental issues: Cementum covers dental pulp and holds the periodontal ligament in place. Dental issues, like tooth decay or gum disease, weaken teeth and the natural support structure designed to keep them strong.
• Misaligned teeth: Our bodies are designed with a normal bite that helps us chew, tear, and grind our food. When you have misaligned teeth, that bite changes, and your teeth shift to try to help you maximize your eating movements. 
• Sleep apnea: A common sleep-related movement disorder, obstructive sleep apnea is dangerous. However, there are devices like a CPAP machine that reduce the risks with this condition. These devices work by repositioning the jaw to prevent breathing issues, but a side effect of that movement can be shifting teeth.
• Illness or injury: If you’ve been sick and on certain medications (like tetracycline) for long periods, they can weaken your teeth. Injuries to the face can loosen the periodontal ligament or break and chip teeth. Both of these issues can result in teeth shifting.
• Missing teeth: That normal bite we discussed earlier is ingrained in your mouth’s DNA. When you’re missing a tooth, your remaining teeth will automatically shift to fill the gap. Implants, partial dentures, and bridges can help stop this movement.

Wearing a retainer after braces can maximize the time you enjoy your newly straightened teeth, but there’s no guarantee your teeth will stay the same for life. With so many potential causes of teeth shifting, staying diligent and on top of your dental health is necessary to keep a straight smile.

How to Prevent Teeth Shifting

Although age is part of life, teeth shifting doesn’t have to be a guaranteed side effect. If you take care of your oral health, your jawbone and teeth have a fighting chance at keeping their strength up and staying in their proper positions. This overall health focus starts with a few simple habits.

Wear Your Retainer as Directed

Your braces or Invisalign treatment is finished, but your orthodontic care is not done yet.

Your doctor gave you a retainer and instructions on how and when to wear it. While removable retainer use is flexible (unlike permanent or bonded retainers), you want to err on the side of overuse.

Follow your doctor’s orders at a minimum, and pop your retainer in your mouth any time you have downtime from chewing or talking!

Take Care of Your Oral Hygiene

Brushing twice daily and flossing once will take about five minutes total, but those short habits can have healthy lifelong impacts. On the other hand, skipping these hygiene actions will also have long-term effects — but in negative ways.

When you brush, you remove bacteria and debris from your teeth and gums and prevent those microorganisms from causing decay and deterioration. Flossing pulls out any particles or plaque that your toothbrush missed. 

Strong oral hygiene also means getting regular teeth cleanings. Your hygienist will deep clean your teeth and gums to remove any debris that is out of reach. The dentist will examine your mouth to check for early signs of decay, gum disease, and other oral health damage.

Without brushing, flossing, and dental cleanings, the stable structure of your teeth slowly deteriorates. Not only can this cause your teeth to shift, but you’ll end up with problems like cavities from tooth decay. 

Early gum disease (gingivitis) is reversible with care. However, if you skip these oral hygiene steps, it can turn into periodontitis, a degenerative form of gum disease that speeds up teeth shifting. This condition is also associated with an increased risk of chronic systemic diseases like cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.

Address Your Teeth Grinding

Bruxism, a sleep disorder characterized by chronic jaw clenching and ongoing teeth grinding, happens to tens of thousands of people each year. 

Sleep bruxism is the most prevalent, occurring in 15-40% of children under 18 and 8-10% of adults. This type of bruxing tends to decrease with age but can be triggered by stress and anxiety. Awake bruxism occurs in 22-31% of people and often shows up as jaw clenching during stressful situations.

Bruxing may not sound like a big deal, but its side effects can be painful and long-term. Before your grinding causes your teeth to shift and your enamel to erode, talk to your orthodontist about treatment. They may suggest alternating your retainer with a high-quality, custom-made night guard, like those we offer at JS Dental Lab.

How Do You Know if Your Teeth Are Shifting?

There are a few telltale signs that your mouth sends before the actual visible movement of your teeth. 

You may notice unusual symptoms like sensitive or bleeding gums, increased teeth sensitivity, or a change in your normal bite. If your shifting teeth is caused by grinding, your TMJ (temporomandibular joint) could be dislocated or swollen, causing pain when you chew or talk. Some people complain of speech issues, like lisping or difficulty pronouncing certain syllables.

And, if you’re still wearing your retainer, it will feel tight and you’ll need to force it into place.

Of course, the visible signs of crowded or crooked teeth, gaps, and — in extreme cases — teeth cracks or fractures, are unignorable. Between what you can see and the changes you feel, you may be able to catch the signs of teeth shifting early.

What To Do if Your Teeth Are Shifting

The solution to shifting teeth depends on how soon you’ve caught the issue. 

Wearing your retainer as often as possible can correct mild shifts. Even if you have to push a little harder—but still gently—to pop the oral appliance into place for a couple of weeks, it should do its job by realigning your teeth into their preferred position.

More significant shifts will need strategic orthodontic treatment. These are teeth changes that cause your retainer to not fit anymore at all, even with a little extra effort. These shifts are often accompanied by more severe oral health issues, such as fractured teeth, TMJ pain, or signs of bruxism. (Learn more: Stress and Bruxism: How To Stop Teeth Grinding)

Don’t worry; unless the shifts were left untreated for a long time, you likely won’t need a full course of braces to correct the adjustment. Clear aligners for a few months could do the trick.

In some cases, wearing a night guard can prevent further shifting and stop the side effects of TMJ or bruxing, like headaches, facial muscle pain, and jaw pain. Your orthodontist may offer to make a custom-fit night guard for you, or you can use our professional lab at JS Dental Lab to get the same high-quality oral appliance at a fraction of the cost delivered to your home. (How It Works)

Regardless of the reason for your shifting teeth, if you can catch the problem early, it becomes easier to correct. Talk to your orthodontist or dentist to discuss the issue and how you can halt the movement of your teeth before it changes your bite and your once-straight smile even more. 

Conclusion

When teeth shift after braces, there’s always an understandable worry. Was all that time, money, and stress of forgoing your favorite foods pointless? 

Luckily, you can regain your beautiful smile without reverting to full-time braces as long as you catch the problem early.

You can have your new smile for years if you catch that minor shift right away. The solution could be as simple as a new retainer or wearing yours a little longer each day. Don’t let a slight shift stress you out — talk to your doctor and come up with a treatment plan to address the problem.

In addition to having regular check-ups with your ortho and dentist, keep your oral hygiene on point and wear your retainer as directed. If your teeth are shifting due to bruxism, head to JS Dental Lab and let our professionals help you find the right night guard to stop that tooth movement in its tracks.