Yes, teeth can shift even with veneers because dentition naturally shift all the time. However, certain conditions can cause more shifting while others may cause less shifting. The good news is that there are ways to minimize or prevent shifting with dental veneers.
Teeth will naturally move
Your natural dentition will slowly shift or migrate over time and having veneers or crowns on teeth are no exception.
Why veneers still shift: Porcelain veneers are bonded onto natural tooth structure, meaning it is still technically your natural tooth. This fact does not preclude it from normal anatomical shifting in the arch like non-veneered teeth.
Image below: Shows a cracked front tooth veneer where you can see that it is literally a layer of porcelain that is bonded over the tooth surface.
Essentially the natural tooth underneath of it migrates and the porcelain over it will migrate with it.
Evidence of natural teeth shifting:
If you want evidence of teeth shifting would be to ask your friends who had braces but never wore their retainers. Plenty of people redo orthodontics for this reason because their teeth are no longer straight.
People with night guards that don't wear them consistently. After a while you'll find that the night guard won't fit anymore.
Ultimately, teeth will naturally shift but they often move very little over a very long period of time. Most people usually don't notice it happening until many months or years later. That is to give you an idea of how slow the process is.
When veneers are more likely to shift
Dental veneers are most likely to shift if you've just finished ortho treatment and if you don't wear a retainer or night guard to keep them in place.
When they're most likely to shift:
Right after orthodontics. Teeth usually take about a year or so before they fully stabilize after completing orthodontics such as braces or invisalign. If you put veneers on during this time they can potentially shift very quickly especially if you don't wear retainers.
No retainer. Non-compliant with wearing your retainers? You can bet the teeth will shift because the purpose of it is to prevent shifting.
No night guard. A night guard will often times double up as a retainer because they help hold the teeth in place. What you'll find is if you don't wear your night guard, it won't fit many months later!
When veneers are less likely to shift
Certain conditions will result in dental veneers being less likely to shift in the mouth.
Teeth haven't moved in years. If your teeth haven't shifted on their own in years, it is safe to say that they are stable and most likely won't move with new veneers on. This is called understanding your own body/mouth. If this is your case the chances of them moving are significantly lower than average.
You wear a retainer or night guard. If you diligently wear a retainer or night guard, these oral appliances will help prevent the veneers from shifting. You get rewarded for being compliant by having these porcelain restorations stay in place!
If the above two conditions apply to you, you will have a reduced or lowered chance of your veneers moving after having them done.
How to prevent shifting
The best way to prevent teeth with veneers from shifting is to wear retainers because they help hold the teeth in place. An alternative would be to wear a night guard which can also help hold the dentition in position.
How to prevent shifting:
Wear a retainer.
Wear a night guard.
An incentive to wear retainers or night guards after completing treatment is that they also help protect your porcelain veneers from getting damaged. This is especially true if you grind your teeth or clench hard while you sleep. You don't want to wake up in the morning with a chipped veneer.
Verdict
Unfortunately, teeth can still shift even with veneers bonded on because teeth naturally shift over time. The good news is that the movement is usually so microscopic that most people don't realize it.
However, there are certain conditions which may make them more prone to shifting and others which make them less prone. Nonetheless, if you're interested in getting porcelain veneers in Long Island City, NY, book a consultation with one of our dentists.
