Going through having traditional braces as a kid isn't something most are happy about at the time, but the results can be spectacular. However, if you had braces when you were a child and have noticed that your teeth seem to be somewhat crooked now in adulthood, you're not alone. This is a common problem for many people. If you're curious as to why and to learn what you can do about it, read on.

Why It Happens

There are a few different factors that can impact the crookedness of your teeth after completing braces treatment.

For starters, you should have received a retainer after you completed your braces treatment. Typically, these retainers are to be used at night while you're sleeping to help maintain your results. It's especially important to use them during the first few years after you've had your braces. Failure to do so can cause the teeth to begin shifting over time.

Another problem is one's habits. Those things your dentist and orthodontist have likely warned you about can make a major impact on your teeth. For example, biting your fingernails or chewing on a pencil or toothpick can cause individual teeth to begin shifting as pressure is put on them. This can lead to your teeth becoming crooked even if they were perfect after having braces.

The final common possibility is that your teeth may have been pushed out of alignment by another tooth coming in. This is rare, but if you had your wisdom teeth taken out late, they may have grown in enough to overcrowd your molars, which may have shifted and caused further crookedness in your front teeth.

What You Can Do About It

While going back and getting traditional braces again is certainly a possibility, it's not something that most people will want to do, especially in adulthood. However, even if you were to find your old retainer, there's a good chance it won't fit anymore, rendering it useless, too. So what are you to do?

In this situation, one of the best choices you can make is to get invisible braces. These braces are designed to be extremely convenient, as you can take them off to eat and drink and to clean your teeth and the braces themselves. As the name implies, they're made out of a transparent plastic that's strong enough to move your teeth but practically unnoticeable while you're wearing them. Many retainers are also made out of this material, so you may already be familiar with the concept.

Invisible braces can fix the misalignment of your teeth, and will likely do so in far less time than you originally spent in braces, since your teeth probably aren't as crooked now as they were when you started. If you're tired of feeling like your braces treatment didn't last, then consider invisible braces to fix these problems today.