drifting tooth

drifting tooth

a tooth that migrates from its normal position. Causes include a loss of proximal support or functional antagonists, occlusal traumatic tooth relationships, inflammatory and retrograde changes in the attachment apparatus, and oral habits, such as thumb-sucking and bruxism.

drift·ing tooth

(drifting tūth)

A tooth that has moved from its normal anatomic position to an adjacent vacant space.
See also: drift