Why Do Teeth Become Loose?
If you have a loose tooth, that can be a sign of a serious dental problem that could worsen quickly. See your dentist right away.
Three Causes of Loose Teeth
The three most common cause of loosening teeth are:
- Gum disease
- Teeth clenching or TMJ
- Injury due to sports or an accident
All of these are issues that should be addressed with the help of a dentist.
In the case of gum disease or TMJ, the dentist may refer you to a periodontist.
In the case of an injury acquired in sports or an accident, the dentist may do the work to repair breaks or chips or you may be sent to an orthodontist.
Treatment for loose teeth
Treatment of loose teeth will depend on why the teeth are loose.
In the case of gum disease, a deep cleaning of the gums can remove pockets of bacteria, bacteria causing plaque in which case after it is removed the bone will heal, and the tooth will tighten back up.
If the loose teeth are due to teeth clenching or an occlusion, it is possible to do a splinting treatment in which the loose tooth or teeth are splinted to the teeth next to them to distribute the biting force evenly among them.
Another treatment is to move teeth with orthodontic devices in order to regenerate lost bone while creating new periodontal attachment.
This needs to be done before the loose teeth have a chance to cause periodontal disease that goes deep into the gums and can destroy parts of the jaw bone.
How to help reduce loose teeth
If you play sports, wear a sports mouth-guard to protect your teeth and jawbone. If you have TMJ, you should be using a night therapy mouth-guard in order to prevent wear and injury of grinding your teeth.
For loose teeth in Oshawa, it’s important to get the help of a qualified dentist.