My teeth have shifted??

Question

Okay, so I had my braces on for about a year. Then they took 'em off. But now my teeth have shifted, so they are putting them back on!!! Why? I wore my bloody retainer day and night!!!!! WHY????????????????????????????

Answer 1

One of two things could cause this, first, the retainer didn't fit properly or secondly, you weren't as compliant about wearing the retainer as you state.

Answer 2

Hi,

Couple of things might have happened :

1. The retainer might not have been fabricated well in the beginning. Also, as I will explain later, the measurements can change over time. As a result, the retainers may not fit well. Therefore, you are supposed to go to your orthodontist periodically for follow-up visits and get new retainers made, if necessary.

2. Even with your honest intentions you might not have used it religiously everyday. Not wearing a retainer even for a week (e.g., when you forget to  take it with you on a trip) can allow for a relapse to a certain degree.

3. Depends on how long a day you wear the retainer. You are supposed to use it at least 8 -10 hours a day. That is why you should wear it early in the evening as soon as you get the opportunity to put it in.

4. It depends on your age, but I am guessing that you did not get your wisdom teeth taken out soon enough. Maybe you still have those in. With the constant thrust put on the rest of the teeth by the wisdom teeth might have caused your teeth to shift. The thin wires of the removable retainers are not always be strong enough to neutralize that force. As a result, over the years those wires give way and allow for shifting of the teeth.

5. I don't know when the braces were taken off the first time. If you were in your early teen years it is possible that significant amount of growth took place after you started to use the retainer. As I explained under point # 4, the retainer could not oppose that force to keep everything stable.

6. It is possible that because of the reasons mentioned under points # 4 and # 5, even after your using the retainer everyday did not guarantee the best possible result.

[For this reason many young patients need new retainers made every so often. Therefore, it is very important to go to the dentist on a regular basis and if possible, to go to the Orthodontist for follow-up visits also.]

7. The shifting can also be very significant with an underlying habit of clenching and / or grinding of teeth. The excess pressure exerted on the teeth forces the teeth out of position.

I am sure it is frustrating. However, as you can see sometimes it gets unavoidable. It is just that individual variation. Unfortunately, you are one of the unlucky people who needs a second phase of orthodontic treatment.

Hope this offered a reasonable explanation.