Shifting Teeth
Show #275 - Airing Sunday, November 14, 2004
Today's seniors are on the move. That's the good news. The bad news is that their teeth may be moving, too. Here to provide us with a moving explanation about ow to fix shifting teeth is Dr. Steven Marsh.
Question: Even if you used to have straight teeth, teeth seem to shift as we get older. What causes that?
Answer: There are four main ways your teeth can move, and each has a different cause.
Question: Okay, let’s take a look at each of them. First, teeth can shift forward.
Answer: Yes, teeth can move forward and become buck. This movement can be caused by a collapse of space in the back of the mouth due to age, losing back teeth, or back teeth that are shorter due to being ground.
In this example, the teeth in the back were ground down. We rebuilt the back teeth with crowns and then used veneers in the front. The lower teeth were beaten up too, and we eventually fixed the bottom as well. Before and two afters.
Question: The second is the opposite—teeth can collapse in.
Answer: If there are spaces in your mouth, teeth can also shift backward.
In this example, this man had teeth taken out by an orthodontist when he was younger, and his teeth moved backwards. Front and side view.
This problem could have been fixed with orthodontics, but we used veneers for a quicker result. Before and after.
Question: Then teeth can spread apart.
Answer: This often has to do with a person’s bite. Also, there is a muscle in the front of the gum that can keep teeth spread apart.
Here’s one example of how the problem can be fixed. Before and after.
Here’s another example, where the teeth were so far apart crowns were used. This woman is in the healthcare field and didn’t like to smile a lot. She wanted to look friendlier and more sophisticated. Before and after.
Question: And finally, teeth can crowd together.
Answer: As some people get older, their teeth start moving in what is called a midline shift—crowding together toward the center of the mouth.
This is a Golden Opportunities viewer whose son is getting married. She told me that at one time her teeth were very straight, but they have moved. We whitened her teeth and then laid translucent veneers on top of the whitening. Before and after.
If your teeth are shifting, it may be time to take action. Shift your hand to the phone and give Dr. Marsh a call for more information.
