Loose Teeth and Bite Problems
As you might remember from when you were young and still had your primary teeth, also called baby teeth, it can hurt when you bite down on a loose tooth, and it could even further dislodge the tooth and cause it to fall out. Of course, losing a tooth in this manner isn’t a huge deal for a child, whose baby teeth are meant to fall out anyway, but if an adult has a loose tooth, the stakes are higher. Chewing with a loose permanent tooth can be challenging and painful and will almost always cause additional damage, including the ultimate loss of the tooth. Dentists can provide treatment for adults with loose permanent teeth, and there are multiple treatments that address multiple causes for loose teeth, so if you have a loose tooth, take extra care to avoid biting or chewing with the tooth until you can get in to see a dentist. If your tooth is loose because of a blow to the face and mouth, whether in an accident, fall, or other impact, and the pain is intense and accompanied by a clearly damaged tooth, see an emergency dentist or visit an emergency medical clinic for prompt attention.
What many people may not realize, however, is that issues with the bite can also lead to loose teeth. The bite, also called the occlusion, is the relationship between the upper and lower rows of teeth when the jaws are closed. When people habitually grind or clench their teeth, which is often an unconscious habit that occurs while sleeping, this excessive force on the bite can stretch the ligaments that hold the teeth in place and cause them to loosen. This habitual grinding and clenching, a condition known as bruxism, can also cause pain in the jaw and uneven wear on the teeth and can also accelerate bone loss in the jaw. Dentists usually recommend mouth guards and stress reduction therapies for people with bruxism, and they can also perform adjustments to the teeth to bring the bite back into alignment. These bite adjustments involve reshaping tiny amounts of the enamel outer layer of the teeth, which can repair the way the lower and upper jaws connect and rebalance previously disproportionate force. Dentists can also modify the bite by repairing or replacing fillings that have worn down or broken, and they can restore teeth that are worn down with bonding treatments that rebuild and reshape the teeth. All of these are mechanical treatments that address the forces that are applied to the teeth and seek to restore them to balance and alignment.
The most common cause of loose teeth is gum disease, which is a bacterial infection that degrades the gum tissue, ligaments, and bone that support the teeth in the mouth and that arises because of poor oral hygiene, which includes brushing and flossing daily and seeing the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings. The treatment for loose teeth that are caused by gum disease is to treat the gum disease and any underlying damage it has caused. The only way to effectively discern the cause of loose teeth and begin the proper course of treatment is to see your dentist, so if you have a loose tooth, or if you suspect that one or more of your teeth is compromised by gum disease, make sure to see your dentist. When intercepted early, gum disease can often be reversed and the oral cavity restored to health, and the best way to diagnose gum disease early is in a routine dental checkup – so make sure to see your dentist regularly even if you don’t have any loose teeth or other symptoms of gum disease, and do your part to keep these problems from arising in the first place.