It’s one thing when a supermodel has a gap between her two front teeth, but us mere mortals don’t always look quite so stunning. A space between your teeth is known as a diastema, and it can develop at any point during your life. But what does it mean?
When anything about your smile changes, it’s to be investigated. As an adult, your teeth shouldn’t be moving – and if they are, there’s an underlying cause. Noticing your once-straight teeth shifting into new positions? Keep reading to learn more about what signs to look for, what might be causing the drifting, and what you can do to stop it.
Are My Teeth Shifting?
It takes time to notice your appearance changing, and drifting teeth don’t happen overnight. This can make it tough to take a step back and identify what’s different about your smile. But if spaces are opening up between teeth, they’ll eventually get large enough for you to notice. Stay engaged with your oral hygiene, and notice if it’s suddenly getting easier to fit floss between your teeth, or if food is getting lodged in wider gaps.
Potential Causes of Drifting Teeth
- Periodontal disease – Gum disease causes your gum tissues to become infected. If the disease progresses, it will eat away at your periodontal tissues and bone, and your teeth won’t have the same support they once did, leading to shifting.
- Grinding – When you grind your teeth, you put unnatural pressure on your enamel. Ongoing grinding will lead to your teeth eroding and potentially moving out of position.
- Lack of retainer wear after orthodontic treatment – After braces, Invisalign, or Six Month Smiles, you’ll need to wear your retainers as instructed to see the results stick. Otherwise, your teeth will shift back into their previous positions.
- Tooth loss – After losing a tooth, your teeth lose the support of that neighboring structure. They will drift to fill in the space left behind.
How to Maintain a Straight Smile
Once you notice shifting teeth, it’s probably too late to fix the problem on your own. Just contact us to schedule a consultation and learn more about your options. Our team will treat the underlying the problem to prevent drifting from continuing.