United Kingdom
A 17-year-old female asked:

Do our teeth shift during teenage years? my bottom incisors were completley straight when i was 14, but are now slightly crooked. no orthodontics.

4 doctor answers7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Paul Grin
Pain Management 38 years experience
Yes, they do: As we get older there are natural to get some changes in your bones. One such change is a narrowing of the lower jaw as the canines tip in slightly. This takes away some of the space for the lower incisors causing them to shift and become slightly crooked. See your dentist for more information and if your wisdom teeth fully erupted do not remove them.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Arnold Malerman
Orthodontics 55 years experience
During teen years lower jaw outgrows upper by about 3% causing lower incisors to tip back. Teeth try to erupt and drift toward the midline to compensate for tooth wear that we don't see with our modern refined diets. Tonsils/adenoids/back 1/3 of tongue shrink while at same time facial drape matures, producing backward pressure on teeth. See an Orthodontist now to stabilize your dentition.
Jun 4, 2014
Dr. Howard Schneider
Pediatric Dentistry 36 years experience
Yes: During the last teenage growth spurt the lower jaw grows down and forward and can cause crowding of the bottom front teeth. This happens for both boys and girls, but usually to a greater degree in boys
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Arnold Malerman
Orthodontics 55 years experience
Absolutely: There are many physiologic causes for this phenomenon. The crowding will get more severe, and at an increasingly rapid rate, as time goes on. See an Orthodontic Specialist NOW to stabilize your occlusion.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Stuart Hoffman
32 years experience
Tooth Movement: Yes, your teeth can move through out your lifetime. That is why when you complete your orthodontic treatment, retention is the MOST important part of treatment. If a patient does not wear retainers or have fixed retention, I can guarantee that teeth will move.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Jan 4, 2019

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