What Causes Loose Teeth?
It’s common for children to have loose teeth, but if you’re an adult with a loose tooth, this is a sign that something is amiss. The teeth loosen when their attachment to the gums and bone is compromised, which can happen because of gum disease, injury, or trauma. Once a tooth has begun to loosen, simple acts like exacting and chewing can lead to further loosening and may even cause the loose tooth to detach completely and fall out. If you’re an adult with a loose tooth, you may also experience other symptoms, including bleeding, swelling, and redness in the gum tissue, which may also loosen and recede from their normally secure contact with the teeth. All of these symptoms are connected with gum disease, and early diagnosis of gum disease is an instrumental part of its effective treatment. If your tooth is loose because of injury or trauma, timely dental attention could help save the tooth, so be sure to see your dentist promptly if you have a loose tooth no matter what the reason may be. Appropriate treatment will be determined once the tooth has been clinically examined and the cause for looseness is pinpointed.
If you have a loose tooth, you may notice this for the first time while you’re brushing or flossing your teeth, and sometimes, dentists notice mobility in a tooth during a routine dental appointment. Dentists can also diagnose gum disease during routine dental appointments, and, when caught early, gum disease can be reversed. If the teeth have loosened because of advanced gum disease, it may be possible to save the teeth if the gum disease is aggressively treated. First, your dentist will deep clean hardened plaque from beneath your gums and around your teeth, using a procedure called dental scaling and root planing. This procedure removes deposits of tartar and bacterial plaque, and root planing levels the surface of the tooth root and creates a healthy environment for the gums to reattach to the teeth. You may also get an antibiotic, either topical or oral, to destroy any lingering infection.
In cases of more severe gum disease, dentists may recommend a surgical procedure to restore your gums, bone, and teeth to health. Dentists use a variety of different procedures to support the teeth and heal the gums. During flap surgery, your dentist will make tiny cuts in your gums and then pull back the tissue to deep clean the tooth’s root, preparing it for a healthy future. Once the root is clean and sterilized, the gum tissue is reattached. Some treatment procedures require bone grafts; when the bone has deteriorated significantly, which occurs when there is no tooth present to stimulate the tissue, bone grafts can help the bone rebuild, providing added stability for the teeth.
If your tooth is loose but is still attached to the gums, your dentist may try to save the tooth with a splint. This splint is a small piece of metal that bonds two neighboring teeth together, supporting the loose tooth and holding it in place so that it can heal. Sometimes, a tooth can loosen because of repeated stress during biting or chewing. When this is the cause for a loose tooth, your dentist can modify your bite by strategically reshaping the surface of the tooth, reducing the stress on the tooth and giving it space to heal. This technique is used most frequently to address loose teeth that have loosened due to grinding or clenching the teeth. Dentists may also prescribe a mouth guard for patients who grind or clench their teeth to wear while sleeping, protecting the surfaces of the teeth from disproportionate, damaging stress.
Gum disease is the most common cause of loose teeth in adults, and gum disease is almost always the result of inadequate dental hygiene. Gum disease can be prevented by brushing with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing daily, along with making sure to see your dentist for regular dental checkups and cleanings. While home hygiene can help prevent gum disease, tartar can only be removed by a dental professional using clinical tools, and dentists can also diagnose and treat gum disease early on, when it is still mild enough to be reversed. If you engage in contact sports or other risky behaviors, wear a mouth guard to prevent dental trauma. Prevention is the best scenario when it comes to loose teeth in adults.