What term refers to the unwanted movement of teeth?

• A. Drift
• B. Crowding
• C. Diastema
• D. Dentition

Answer: (A)

Unwanted movement of teeth is called drift. Drift describes the passive migration of a tooth from its planned position in response to changes in the dental arch, such as after a neighboring tooth is lost or when occlusal forces shift. This movement happens outside of deliberate orthodontic control and can alter spacing or alignment, which is why it’s considered unwanted.

For context, crowding is a condition where there isn’t enough space for teeth to align properly; a diastema is a gap between teeth; dentition refers to the complete set of teeth.