Why a Loose Tooth Shouldn’t Be Ignored

Losing baby teeth to make room for permanent teeth is a natural part of growing up. You may encourage your child to place her lost tooth under her pillow for the tooth fairy to find. However, you should take the situation seriously if her baby teeth fall out early due to accidents or tooth decay. A loose tooth in the permanent teeth is also a serious problem. Find out what happens with a loose tooth and how to fix it!

A Loose Tooth In the Baby Teeth

Many people know that you lose your baby teeth when you are younger. One-by-one, the baby teeth will come into the mouth. Studies show that they actually come into the mouth in a certain order, and fall out in the same order. The bottom two teeth in the mouth come in first followed by the upper front teeth. Then, the next tooth on either side of the bottom teeth will come in. This pattern continues in the upper and lower jaws until an infant has all 20 baby teeth in the mouth. Children are small, and so are their baby teeth. These baby teeth only stay with your child for a few years until around ages 6-8.

One baby tooth will become loose and fall out, and the rest of the baby teeth will follow. This is a natural process that happens when a child’s jaw is getting large enough to hold adult teeth. A baby loose tooth will happen when the adult tooth starts to grow in, pushing the baby tooth out. Once the baby tooth doesn’t have enough gums and tissue supporting it, it falls out. That first loose tooth is exciting for a young child, especially when they are looking forward to a visit from the tooth fairy. However, this pattern of losing teeth is not something that should continue beyond the childhood years.

A Loose Tooth Is No Joke

For a child, a loose tooth is exciting, because they know another tooth will grow in its place. Losing the baby teeth is a part of growing up. However, when that second set of teeth come in, those are the ones that a person should have with them for the rest of their life. If one of those adult, permanent teeth becomes a loose tooth, it’s no joking matter. A loose tooth could turn into a lost tooth if you don’t follow proper precautions. The same goes for a child’s baby tooth if it’s loose too soon. See your dentist immediately. A permanent tooth is meant to stay permanent (hence the name), so if you find that you suddenly have a loose tooth, step into action!

How Did This Happen?

A dentist can save your tooth in many cases if you see them right away. However, what caused your loose tooth in the first place? Some common reasons include:

• Gum disease. This is actually the most common reason for loose teeth. If you aren’t taking care of your oral health, your gums will naturally recede from acidic plaque left on the teeth. Eventually they recede enough that your teeth become loose. They will fall out if you don’t seek dental help and if you don’t start a rigorous oral hygiene routine.
• Trauma/Injury. If you have been hit in the face during an activity or sport, then the cause of your loose tooth might be obvious. A cracked, broken, knocked-out or loose tooth are all considered dental emergencies. Why? Because you can lose the tooth permanently if you don’t get help asap.
• Grinding or clenching. Many people grind their teeth together at night, or they clench the teeth together. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that they do this. However, signs of these problems include face and neck pain, teeth and jaw soreness, daily headaches and more. A dentist will easily be able to spot the signs of clenching or grinding and can provide you with a dental appliance to stop the problem before it leads to a loose tooth or broken teeth.
• Pregnancy hormones. Although uncommon, high progesterone and estrogen levels during pregnancy can make some women’s teeth a bit loose. Make sure you see your dentist asap for any dental changes you notice. Luckily, the majority of loose teeth caused from pregnancy hormones result in a losing the tooth.

Help For Loose or Missing Teeth

If you are missing a tooth, you don’t have to live with a missing tooth forever. For a loose tooth as well, you have options. We can bond your loose tooth to the surrounding teeth if your tooth is healthy and can reattach itself. In a healthy smile, the teeth can become sturdy and strong once more. However, if significant trauma or gum disease has occurred, a dental implant may be your best choice for a complete smile once more.

This is a service where we place a post in your jaw and top it with a brand new, durable, custom tooth. Often, a dental implant is even stronger than your natural teeth, but still blends right in. However, we will try all the cosmetic and restorative dentistry options we have before we resort to giving you a new tooth. If you have a loose tooth, never mess with the tooth or move it before you come into our office. Never pull it if you know you will be getting a dental implant. Eat soft foods and call our office for help right away.

Don’t Wait For Help!

Many wait to visit the dentist because they fear extensive dental work. Don’t fear this appointment, as a dentist is there to help your smile. If you have a loose tooth, don’t wait! Call Stonebrook Family Dental immediately at (303) 872-7907 and let us get your smile strong and sturdy once more!