How much can teeth shift as an adult? i'm starting to freak out about a front tooth becoming more crooked, but it could also just be in my head.

Not uncommon: Depending on bite and oral habits in addition to any periodontal problems, teeth can and do shift. Visit a dentist for evaluation as you may be a candidate for a repositioner to realign the tooth.

See orthodontist: Teeth can shift in adulthood-- just ask anyone who had braces and then forgot to wear their retainer. I would schedule a free consult with an orthodontist and discuss your concerns with them. There are a host of potential solutions-- not all require you to have metal braces on your teeth.

Teeth move with age: Our teeth are designed to adapt to wear and tear with age. The mechanism is a forward migration of teeth to keep all the teeth touching(contacting) to keep food from lodging between teeth. Today's diet is not as gritty, we have less tooth wear, but the mechanism remains(genetic). The more time goes by the more crooked your teeth may become. Retainers are the most important part of orthodontics.

Geometric: It's a geometric (rather than arithmatic) progression. A little today, a little more tomorrow, a lot the day after, and so forth. As an adult you have a whole new skeleton every 7 years, so things change. That's why orthodontists seem to be fixated on retainers. Before this gets worse, and it will go see an orthodontist. Even a few degrees of slipped contact @ 13 can be major crowding @ 23.

Consult in order: Don't freak out. Take a deep breath. Just see a dentist to determine if any teeth are shifting and why, and if so, what can be done about it. There are so many people with serious problems, we all need to put things in perspective and not let our minds run wild.

This is natural: Teeth change position just as the entire body changes with advancing age. These changes can be reversed in most cases even as an adult.

Varies: Many factors come into play. The natural tendency of lower canine width is to decrease with time. Many theories to this phenomenon have been proposed. The exact cause is yet to be determined. However, the type of skeletal structure (mandibular angle) and the degree of load during closure, along with clenching all play a roll. That said, long term stability is possible with good orthodontics.

The reason: That front teeth become crowded with age is twofold: the sides of the teeth (where they touch one another--the place that your floss) wear over time and teeth shift forward, and, secondly, since your lower jaw closes in an arc that has a forward component, there are forward forces over a lifetime that make them crown also.

Wisdom teeth: Have you had your wisdom teeth removed? There are 2 schools of thought on this-some say they can move the teeth especially the lower front ones- others say it doesn't happen. Gum disease can also loosen teeth and then they move and shift.

Shifting teeth: Even with impecable homecare and no wisdom teeth present it is possible to experience shifting especially in anterir teeth as we age. Our bite is constantly changing due to wear patterns leading to forces of movement on teeth that may not have been there several months prior. Other oral habits can contribute as well, biting nails, tongue thrusting, chewing pen, clenching or grinding.

A lot: As the body ages, the dynamic equilibrium that maintains tooth position can change, sometimes resulting in significant tooth movement. In addition, the gum and bone support apparatus, if deteriorated, can accelerate the tooth shift.

Depends: Teeth move throughout life, whether one has orthodontics or not. Teeth will relapse depending upon the micro and macro anatomical features surrounding the teeth and jaws. Stability of orthodontic result is a very multi-factorial problem beyond the scope of this answer. Whether your tooth/teeth have moved or not: they are in your head!

As: Bone constantly changes as you age bone resorbs and is deposited in the front portion of your jaw. This process causes a slight decrease in the width of the anterior portion of your jaw because of this process there is slightly less space than there was when you are younger and your front teeth will sometimes become more crowded. Three are other factors that can cause tooth movement so see ur dent.