When you’re a kid, discovering a loose tooth is often a cause for celebration, as you’ll soon be getting a new “adult” tooth and the tooth fairy will be paying a visit. However, when adulthood comes and you have a full mouth of permanent teeth, a loose tooth is only a cause for concern. Typically, a loose tooth is the result of a serious dental issue, and it will mostly likely need to be addressed right away. Not only is a loose tooth concerning, it’s also a possible sign of disease, which could result in tooth loss. There’s a number of loose tooth causes, and each can be avoided with the proper care. If you’ve noticed a loose tooth, you should contact your dentist immediately.
At Quality Dental Care, we know the importance of addressing loose teeth promptly, as the cause of a loose tooth could be serious. By coming into our office when you first notice a loose tooth, we can assess your mouth and find the root of the problem. To help prevent a tooth from becoming loose, take a look at the loose tooth causes as well as how you can treat it.
Loose Tooth Causes
Like we said, you should never discover a loose tooth after losing your primary or “baby” teeth, and if you do, you’ll need to contact your dentist immediately so find the cause. While you can prevent some of these causes with proper oral care, preventing others isn’t that quite simple. Take a look at common loose tooth causes below:
- Gum (Periodontal) Disease: Possibly the most concerning cause, gum disease presents bacteria and plaque buildup, which weakens the gums’ attachment to the teeth and can even result in bone loss.
- Grinding and Clenching: Teeth grinding (bruxism) and clenching can put excessive force on teeth. Similarly, misaligned teeth may cause more force to be put on a certain tooth. Each of these habits can result in a loose tooth.
- Trauma: No surprise here. A strong hit to the face can loosen and even knock teeth out.
- Osteoporosis: Caused by a variety of factors, osteoporosis weakens bones in the body in which they lose density. As a result, your teeth can lose support from the jawbone.
Treating a Loose Tooth
Depending on the cause of your loose tooth, treatment will vary. Though, in most cases, splinting the affected tooth is often necessary. Here, your tooth will be bonded to a strong tooth in order to stabilize the loose tooth. A splint may be applied to the loose tooth regardless of the cause. If grinding or clenching is the problem, a mouthguard will most likely be recommended.
When it comes to gum disease, treatment gets a little more complicated. First, the dentist will need to thoroughly clean the affected teeth and gums. Then, a splint will be applied, or the tooth may need to be reshaped to reduce the force it receives when biting. Of course, you can help prevent gum disease altogether by maintaining proper oral hygiene habits, such as brushing and flossing every day, in addition to avoiding harmful foods.
Loose Tooth? Call Quality Dental Care!
As you can see, a loose tooth can be quite concerning. You should address your issue quickly, as you could end up losing the tooth. Loose teeth are often preventable, so you should do everything in your power to avoid the issue. You can start by brushing and flossing regularly and coming into Quality Dental Care for checkups and cleanings.
If you’ve noticed a loose tooth, don’t hesitate to call us! We can assess the problem and get you on track to a mouthful of healthy teeth. Call us today at 402.431.8844. You can also contact us here.