ELi5: why do our teeth continue to shift around as we get older?
In: 5
Lots of reasons:
1. You use your teeth a lot, and with a lot of force. Over time, that can nudge your teeth around and cause them to shift.
2. Your bone density changes over time. Depending on how your teeth line up and how you chew, you will gain or lose bone mass, which can cause your teeth to shift more easily (due to the forces mentioned in #1).
3. Depending on how old you are, your skull may still be growing or forming. Some people continue to have skull change all the way into their 40s.
4. Some people have wisdom teeth that under their gumline that apply pressure to their teeth, causing shifting.
5. If you lose teeth or have teeth removed, it changes the pressure applied to neighboring teeth, so having dental implants, surgeries or accidents could contribute to shifting teeth.
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