Loose Teeth

A loose tooth is when the tooth is not secure within the gum, meaning it can be moved using your tongue or fingers. Loose teeth are more common in young children as they lose their milk teeth. However, it is not normal for an adult tooth to be loose. If you have a loose adult tooth, contact your dentist and they will assess and treat the area.

What causes loose teeth?

Loose teeth in children are common and will naturally happen as the mouth prepares to grow into adult teeth. In adults, however, loose teeth are not normal and almost always point to an underlying cause:

• Trauma to the area can knock the tooth loose.
• Gum disease can cause the gums to separate from the teeth, retracting and leaving near the tooth root exposed.
• Pregnancy hormones can cause the teeth to become loose.
• Conditions like Osteoporosis, where the bone loses its strength and becomes porous.
• Grinding of teeth can lead to them becoming loose.

How to prevent loose teeth?

Preventing a tooth from becoming loose starts with taking care of your oral hygiene. We advise that you brush your teeth twice a day for no less than two minutes. You should also be flossing to ensure that all food is dislodged, and the area is properly clean.

Wearing a mouth guard during exercise is advisable, this will ensure that in an accident there is a protective layer around your teeth. Utilising a mouth splint in night is ideal as the splint is made to keep your teeth in their natural place, stopping the grinding from causing loose teeth.

Visiting your dentist for routine check-ups will ensure any conditions are caught before causing any long-term damage.

How to treat loose teeth?

Loose teeth can be treated in a handful of ways, here are some of the most common:

• Medications, rinses and gels may be prescribed, they are used to fight bacteria and infection.
• Medications for underlying causes like osteoporosis.
• Scaling and root planing, essential deep cleans the surface of the tooth as well as below the gum line.
• Surgery may be used to remove infected gum if necessary.
• In extreme cases bone grafts or soft tissue grafts may be required to reconstruct the bone or soft tissue.
• Mouth guard or mouth splint.

How to spot loose teeth/symptoms?

Loose teeth are easy to spot as you will tend to feel the tooth moving in the gum. The easiest way to identify if the tooth is loose is to gently push with your tongue or finger to make sure it is loose. Some may experience symptoms in their gums with bleeding, receding, swelling and pain.

If you think you have a loose tooth, we advise you to book an emergency appointment with your dentist, where you can explore the best treatment for you.