Why do teeth not stay still after braces

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I’ve heard people saying things about getting a retainer after they’ve gotten their braces off. Why do you your teeth still move after braces have been taken off?

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6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because of trans septal fibers that are trying to pull teeth back to where they were. Gotta keep up the fight against the constant tug of war going on.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Your teeth are under constant force from your tongue and mouth.

Given enough time, these forces will almost certainly shift them in some way.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Teeth (or anything, really) will move if there is an imbalance of force on it.

Say your teeth are lined up, but the bite hits wrong or harder somewhere, and forces some teeth out of the row…

Say they were twisted to start with and there’s still some rubbery attachment of the gums that want to pull it right back…

Maybe you have a tongue thrust, and push the teeth forward by force of habit or the need to open your airway….

Maybe you genetically have teeth that drift easily, and the alignment wasn’t quite perfect and they buckled like a fault line under pressure.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Many times your tongue is the culprit. We’re quick to charge someone to fix there teeth but don’t tell them that not changing the way they rest their tongue against them is the better means to keeping them straight.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I got mine off in 2016 and thankfully my top teeth haven’t shifted much but my bottom ones did a little. Now I’m paranoid I’m gonna need braces again in a few years 😭😭

Anonymous 0 Comments

Imagine your teeth are being held in by rubber bands (a combination of ligaments, bone and other things). Braces help to align teeth by stretching these rubber bands and making them move to where you want them.
Once your braces are removed, the rubber bands have lost a little of there elasticity because they have been gradually moved with constant force over time, but they still have a tendency to want to shift back to their original position.
Retainers you are given after you take off your braces are there to help oppose the force of the teeth wanting to shift back. When you first get your braces removed, you are supposed to wear them most of the time and, over time, the rubber bands become less elastic so you can transition to every other night.

I tried my best to explain it the way I was told. I’m a final year dental student and this is how I saw a orthodontist explain it to a child about to remove their braces. Hope this helps.