One of the many changes you may experience as you age is your smile. It is expected that after years of eating and chewing your teeth will wear down, but did you know your teeth could also shift in adulthood? Dr. Updike, an Irvine orthodontist, discusses the four main ways your smile shifts as you age.
As you age, your jaws bone loses density and shrinks. This creates a potential tooth crowding problem typically on your bottom teeth. Crowding could also be created by other issues such as breathing through your mouth, reverse swallowing, facial trauma, and more.
Another common occurrence is tooth gaps. There are a variety of reasons that gaps could form as you age such as crowding of the teeth over time and gum disease which causes inflammation. Fortunately, gum disease is preventable with proper oral hygiene and recommended dentist visits each year.
As we have mentioned on the blog before, wearing your retainers after treatment is essential and part of the life-long journey of orthodontic treatment. Many patients experience shifts in their teeth after braces and Invisalign, so it is crucial to follow the retainer instructions from the orthodontist. Should your retainer no longer fit to your teeth, contact your orthodontist immediately to fit you for a new retainer to prevent any further shifting.
If you have never received orthodontic treatment, it is possible you may have an unaligned bite known as malocclusion. Overtime, you may notice it more along with signs of jaw popping or clicking and frequent headaches. These signs could contribute to your teeth shifting as you age.
Fortunately, adult braces have been surging in recent years and is more normalized than ever. If you believe you could benefit from orthodontic treatment, schedule a consultation at Updike Orthodontics today at (949) 870- 9713. We have taken new safety measures in our office to ensure everyone’s safety during these times and look forward to seeing you in our office!
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