Orthodontic treatment is something many of us had as teenagers and then expected our smile to go the distance. However, in some cases we may need to consider orthodontic treatment again later in life. There are a lot of reasons your teeth may have shifted over time and if your smile has become crooked or your teeth are uneven again, you may need to have orthodontic treatment for a second time.
Teeth will naturally shift and change their position as we age, with varying effects on your smile, but here are some of the most common causes of shifting that we see:
- Not wearing your retainers as recommended
- Developing bad habits, such as bruxism (chronic grinding of your teeth) or clenching due to stress
- Accidents, trauma and tooth loss
- Poor oral hygiene/Gum Disease
Do I really need to get orthodontic treatment for a second time?
That really is up to you and the decision will probably be based mostly on how you feel about the way your teeth look when you smile. Having orthodontics for a second time might mean that you’ll only need a short course of treatment with clear aligners or partial braces for a few months to correct minor issues.
Make an appointment with an orthodontist to discuss what your options are and what the best course of treatment would be for the health of your smile.
These days, it’s not uncommon for parents to undergo treatment alongside their child; often orthodontic treatment just wasn’t an option when patients were teens, be it due to the cost or lack of accessibility. Additionally, parents see first-hand the great results that can be achieved with treatment and decide to undergo treatment themselves.
