mesial drift


mesial drift

The natural tendency for teeth to move in a mesial direction within the dental arch to maintain tight interproximal contacts between adjacent teeth. Synonym: physiological tooth movement See: pathological tooth migration; physiological tooth migration; tooth movementSee also: drift

drift

(drift) In dentistry, movement of teeth usually medially due to loss of adjacent teeth or wear of proximal surfaces.
Synonym(s): mesial drift, migrating teeth.