Loose Teeth & Bite Problems
If you are an adult who’s ever had a loose permanent tooth, you may be aware of how painful and challenging it can be to bite or chew with a loose tooth. It’s also clear that biting on a loose tooth could cause the tooth to loosen even more and could even cause the tooth to detach completely and fall out. It’s often possible to prevent a loose tooth from falling out, but the first step in saving a loose permanent tooth is immediate dental attention. Loose teeth can be caused by a few different things, and treatment for a loose tooth will depend on its cause. In all cases, if you have a loose tooth, avoid using that area of the mouth for biting or chewing while you wait to see your dentist.
Most loose permanent teeth are caused by periodontitis, a bacterial infection that causes inflammation and destruction in the gums, bones, and tissues that surround the teeth and support them in the mouth. Periodontitis is most commonly caused by poor oral hygiene; when the teeth, gums, and oral tissues are not regularly and sufficiently cleaned, bacterial plaque and tartar accumulate on the teeth above and below the gum line. As more bacteria accumulate, the disease progresses, causing the gums and ligaments to detach from the teeth and leading to the loss of bone in the jaw. As more bone tissue is lost, more teeth loosen. Loose teeth can’t withstand the forces of biting and chewing and, if left uncorrected, will eventually fall out. Loose teeth that are caused by gum disease are repaired by addressing and treating the gum disease. If gum disease has progressed too much, the recommended solution may be to remove the loose teeth and replace them with dental implants.
Loose teeth can also be caused by clenching or grinding the teeth, a condition known as bruxism. The excessive force applied to the teeth during the act of clenching or grinding can stretch the ligaments that hold the teeth in the mouth, causing the teeth to loosen. The stress of bruxism can also cause pain in the jaw, imbalance or excessive wear on the teeth, and accelerated bone loss in the jaw. Dentists recommend that patients with bruxism wear mouth guards while sleeping, to prevent the upper and lower rows of teeth from biting too hard and damaging each other and the jaw. Problems with the way the two rows of teeth align can also cause teeth to loosen, as the force each tooth undergoes is uneven. Dentists can often adjust the bite by replacing worn fillings or modifying the shape or alignment of the teeth, and other mechanical treatments, like splints, can be used to stabilize loose teeth and allow their damaged attachment ligaments to heal.
When loose teeth are caused by medical reasons, like gum disease, the treatment is not mechanical but medical, or biological. The first step in treating gum disease is to deep clean the oral cavity, removing plaque and tartar from the teeth above and below the gum line and disinfecting the surfaces of the teeth and gums. Accompanied with effective oral hygiene habits, this dental deep clean can sometimes reduce inflammation sufficiently for the gums to heal and tighten around the teeth. If gum disease is significantly advanced, other medical treatments may be used to manage the gum disease in the hopes of saving the natural teeth.