how come despite being straightened via braces or invisaligners, our teeth always naturally want to shift back, even if the original position was full of spacing or crowding?

Question

I know for some of us who don’t have naturally straight adult teeth that the way they grew in pre-treatment is technically *our* “natural”, but why do they still want to move back even if the original position was excessively spaced or crowded? Wouldn’t the ortho treatment make the teeth more “comfortable”, for lack of a better term?

In: Biology

Answer 1

ISTM it wouldn’t make them more comfortable since you’re moving them to a non-natural position. If you’re wearing braces, it’s likely because *you* want your teeth to look straighter (ignoring problems with hygiene, speech etc). They grew into that position because that’s where your body naturally guided them.

Also, when you get your braces off, it really is important to wear your retainer for as long as possible. At least a year or two or until you lose it and leave that lower bondwire on for a few years. It takes a while for everything to heal.