110 Loose Teeth & Bite Problems

Loose Teeth & Bite Problems
As a young person, learning how to ride a bike and read a book are events to celebrate. Even losing a tooth can be a very exciting moment that brings great joy knowing that your adult teeth are starting to grow into place. As an older person, noticing a loose tooth does not bring those joyful feelings but nervous feelings and fear. You may not know why your tooth is loose or you may be uncertain about the potential cost of the treatment for your unknown dental issue. When you have a loose tooth as an adult, it is important that you reach out to the dentist for an appointment as early as possible. The dentist will be able to determine the reason why your tooth is loose and may even be able to save the tooth before it falls out completely. If you try to ignore your loose tooth in hopes that it will heal itself and become secure in its place again, you are going to be disappointed to find that approach will not work. If you do not treat the loose tooth, it will fall out and it may even cause the surrounding teeth to fall out as well. Without the teeth in place to help keep the jaw bone healthy, it will lose density as well. So it can be a slippery slope to poor dental health if you do not address your loose tooth.

It is common for adults to experience a loose tooth because it can result from a number of issues. The most common reason for loose permanent teeth is gum disease or periodontal disease. After the plaque on the teeth along the gum line causes the teeth to lose calcium and minerals leaving it more vulnerable to decay, the plaque irritates the gums. The longer the plaque remains on the tooth, it will harden and become tartar leaving the gums even more inflamed. The bacteria will be able to find small openings below the gums leaving the gums infected, swollen, red and bleeding. The gums will separate from the teeth allowing the tooth to become loose. The dentist will be able to address the gum disease and stop it from getting worse. If you catch it early enough, the dentist may be able to reverse the damage from the gum disease completely.

You may not have gum disease, but you may suffer from bruxism leaving you with loose teeth over time. Bruxism is clenching and grinding your teeth, usually in your sleep as a result of stress. The pressure and force generated by grinding your teeth is too much for your teeth and repeated extreme pressure can damage the ligaments that attach your teeth to your gums. Looser ligaments leave you with looser teeth, jaw pain, and too much wear on your teeth.

Some people are able to find relief from grinding and clenching by wearing a mouth guard to sleep. The dentist can help your teeth get more support while your ligaments are healing by splinting the teeth. If the dentist attaches one tooth to the others on either side, the pressure placed on the single tooth can be spread across multiple teeth.