Our teeth have the ability to adjust to changes that happen over time in our mouth. This is achieved by a special feature called the periodontal ligament or PDL in short. This is a tissue that attaches the tooth to the bone and rearranges itself in response to the forces applied on the tooth. A major function of the PDL is to compensate for the wear that teeth have when we chew, by pushing the tooth out of the bone when there is no resistance. But when an opposing tooth is removed this function is detrimental and leads to “Over eruption”. Overeruption is when a tooth pushes out of the bone more than the other teeth in that jaw leading to an uneven bite and drifting of neighboring teeth as shown in the image on the right. It is usually following an extraction, if the removed tooth is not replaced. As a result of the changes in the bite food is being trapped between neighboring teeth and the “overerupted” tooth can prevent the placement of an implant or a denture in the opposing jaw. After the tooth has shifted it is more difficult, lengthily and costly, to have a healthy bite again and may involve orthodontic treatment, root canal treatment and crowns.