Braces: Stories

I'm not sure what to write here haha. But my reason for getting braces was because my upper canine teeth grew in too high and didn't grow into line with the rest of my teeth. I had braces for a year and a half, and I have never regretted it. Fixing my teeth is the best thing I Ever did. Sometimes it was painful, sure, but in the end it was definitely worth it.

I finished my treatment with braces and my orthodontist advised to wear a clear retainer every night for a year. My braces came off in mid May 09 and I'm due back in mid May 2010 for my next retainer review.

I've missed three nights wearing my retainer (due to sickness, not just me being lazy), but it's been spaced out and each night was a month or two apart, never consecutively. Aside from this I've been wearing my retainer for 8-12 hours every day.

But, I'm still a little paranoid that my right upper canine tooth has shifted back upward slightly (the reason I had braces was due to buccally-placed (sp?) canines that needed to be brought down into line with the arch). The retainer I was given fits snugly on my front central incisors and my molars on each side, but there is a millimetre or so gap from the bottom of my lateral incisors and canines on each side. There was always a slight gap there, but comparing photos it looks like the right upper canine may have shifted upward ever so slightly...

So I guess my question is, is it possible for teeth to drift upward even while wearing your retainer as prescribed? Or is it more likely that I'm imagining this. And if it has moved slightly, what's the easiest way to pull the tooth back down, short of messing around with braces again?