A loose tooth in a young child is a common occurrence and is healthy, because their baby teeth are naturally being pushed out and replaced with adult teeth. However, this is no longer normal when you are an adult. Adult teeth are permanent and are designed to last a lifetime.
However, a loose tooth in adults can occur when a tooth loses its natural support from the gums and jawbone. When this happens, the tooth gradually detaches from the gums. A tooth can also become loose if you were in a severe car accident, experienced a sports injury, or had trauma to the head or face.
It is estimated that adults in the United States who are between the ages of 20 and 64 have an average of about 25 remaining teeth. Compare that to the fact that the normal number of natural teeth is 32; if you had your wisdom teeth removed, you should have 28. Therefore, U.S. adults are missing three teeth on average.
Let’s talk about what you can do about a loose tooth so you can get rid of the pain and annoyance it is causing you.
Symptoms of Loose Teeth
If your tooth is loose, even the slightest touch can cause the tooth to move. Eating, biting, or chewing can cause even further loosening and may cause excruciating pain.
If you are an adult and have developed loose teeth, you may experience symptoms in your gums such as bleeding, swelling, redness, and gum recession. These symptoms can indicate an underlying medical condition, so it is best to have a full dental checkup with a skilled dentist.
Common Causes of a Loose Tooth
There are many reasons for developing a loose tooth, including the following:
Gum Disease
One of the most common causes of loose teeth is advanced gum disease. Gum disease is often due to poor dental hygiene and insufficient nutrition.
Tartar can collect and build up in the tiny space between your teeth and gums, and this buildup can lead to gum inflammation and bone deterioration. Indeed, one of the early signs of gum disease is having red, bleeding, painful gums.
Injury
Other causes of a loose tooth in adults can also include teeth grinding and traumatic injury. If you grind your teeth severely while you sleep or even while you work, you can be wearing down the tooth and eventually cause it to loosen. Similarly, a blow to the face or head can cause enough trauma to jostle the tooth out of place.
Who Can Help Fix My Loose Tooth?
The first step in treating a loose tooth in adults begins when your dentist identifies the root cause of the loose tooth. The dentist may recommend that the tooth be removed and replaced with a dental implant and a crown, the tooth may be attached by your dentist to an adjacent tooth so you can continue to use it as normal, or the dentist may have another way to repair the tooth – such as if there is enough supportive tissue to re-attach it to the gumline.
If you are in the Henderson, Nevada area and are in need of expert dental care, our experienced team here at Dedicated Dental can help. We are listed as one of Nevada’s Preferred Cosmetic and Family Dentists because we provide consistently excellent dental care to our patients.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (702) 566-5509 or fill out our online appointment request form now. We look forward to being your go-to family dentist!
