Your face is more than just your face. It’s part of who you are. What’s more, your face is where other people focus. Even people with visual impairments pay close attention to the sound of your words and the scent of your breath. Does your breath worry you? It should. Not only does it broadcast your health and hygiene practices, but it also affects how people feel about being around you. You can’t do much about your face, but you can do a lot about your teeth. We’re going to answer some dental questions so you can be your best self questions like: average cost of porcelain veneers.
Causes of Shifting Teeth
It’s human nature to crave stability and predictability. Because teeth are strong, you expect them to stay put. However, like the rest of your body, they change throughout your lifespan. Here are some of the things that contribute to shifting teeth:
- Aging: Skull and jaw remodeling from bone density changes, mineral resorption, and mesial drift, the normal tendency of lower teeth to move toward the front over time as your jaw grows forward and shrinks in width
- Injury or disease: Traumatic blows to the face, vitamin deficiencies, hormone abnormalities, and conditions such as rickets, osteoporosis, and even spaceflight osteopenia–tooth loss from bone weakening due to the absence of gravity to stimulate normal bone growth
- Grinding: Wear from bruxism–clenching and gnashing the teeth–changing how upper and lower teeth fit together
- Dental conditions: Tooth decay, erosion of the enamel from acid, and gum disease-causing jaw bone loss
- Missing teeth: Gaps resulting in dental drift
Can the Shifting of Teeth Be Prevented?
You can prevent some shifting of teeth by being aware of what to look for. It’s important to act quickly before the damage advances too far. Here’s what you can do:
- Daily dental care: Brushing and flossing daily to prevent plaque buildup; even better, brushing twice daily.
- Maintaining general good health: Drinking enough water, eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of unprocessed foods, getting adequate rest, exercising according to your capability, and spending time in the fresh air and natural light to contribute to your body’s ability to heal and resist infection.
- Giving your mouth what it needs: Feeding your face right by eating crunchy vegetables that help remove sticky bacterial scum, known as plaque, near your gum line.
- Rinsing after consuming these: Carbonated beverages, sugary foods and drinks, and high acid foods such as citrus.
- Avoiding: Enamel-cracking items, including ice and sticky, hard candies.
- Regular dental checkups: If you take your car to the mechanic, then you know the value of working with a professional to help keep what you have in good shape.
When Do Shifting Teeth Become a Problem?
As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The next best remedy is catching problems early. Warning signs that indicate a potential problem include oral pain, swelling, enlarged lymph nodes in your neck, rapid changes in the way your teeth fit, new cracks or breaks in your teeth, a strange taste in your mouth that won’t go away, and any kind of blow or impact to your face.
What Can Your Dental Professional Do?
Having credentialed, experienced experts on your team will give you the security of knowing that you always have resources to help you avoid problems as well as solve them. It’s their job to stay up to date with the latest advances in care. Ongoing training informs them about new techniques and materials emerging worldwide. If you’re concerned about the consequences of shifting teeth, check out the potential benefits of Invisalign. Clear dental alignment technology has been in use for about a quarter of a century. Today millions of people of all ages opt for clear, custom-made retainers.
Preserve Your Precious Pearly Whites
Your face and your smile are part of who you are. By being mindful of your oral health, you can improve your quality of life in many ways for many years to come. A final word of advice: don’t visit Outer Space.
