Is Teeth Shifting Serious?
The real question here is When is Teeth Shifting Serious? A little movement is expected with any sort of living tissues. Your eyes move, your nose moves, and your hair moves, why wouldn't your teeth and gums?
However some movements, especially large ones or ones that compromise stability, need to be addressed, and quickly, The best thing to do is see your dentist, and ask about what shifting teeth means and what it means for your dental health.
What causes shifting teeth?
Shifting teeth can be caused by a number of factors, including:
Infection- Dental Infections attack the gums and root structures of your teet, sometimes all the way down to your jaw. In these cases the teeth will move, and they may knock into others, forcing them to move. The whole system sort of topples in this analogy, with pockets of the gums exposed from tooth to tooth, until the whole mouth is infected with harmful bacteria leading to tooth loss and dental decay.
Age- As we grow, so do our bodies. Sometimes our jaw grows, changing the spacing of our teeth, and sometimes the angle changes, or our jaw shrinks. Some of this is unavoidable and not “serious” but may require cosmetic or orthodontic work.
Tooth Loss- Once the ecosystem is compromised, the whole thing is at risk of small manipulations. If you had to have teeth extracted in the past, the jaw and gums themselves are now open to small movements of the teeth surrounding the extraction. It’s like a parking lot, where all the cars are parked just a little over the line next to them. All your teeth are in place, they just aren’t in the right place.
Trauma- Many patients experience tooth movement or shifting after car accidents, hits to the face, or trauma. The root structures of the jaw or gums and hit with something, and if even one area is loosened, the nearby ones becomes so too.
Bruxism- Grinding of your teeth occurs for many people totally subconsciously. When it happens, tremendous force is exerted onto the tooth, jaw, and gums, with cosmetic damage to the tooth, and further damage down below in the root.
How to know if your teeth are shifting
Check them out. Throughout your morning or night time routine, take a good look in your mouth. Look towards the back molars, and the front incisors and bicuspids.Are you noticing gaps where your didnt before? When you are flossing, is the space between teeth in any area tighter or looser than it was before. Obviously if you can physically wiggle a tooth, you need to see a dentist right away. You may even notice changes in your speech, especially with dental fricative sounds like T’s S’s and R’s.
When to see your Dentist
You should already be seeing one twice a year for cleanings and examinations. Full stop. The best thing you can do is take care of your whole health, and that includes your teeth. Check in anytime you have concerns, especially with shifting teeth.