I Have a Loose Tooth — What Should I Do?

A tooth has loosened in your mouth and you’re no longer a kid, which means there’s no tooth fairy on the other side of this issue. There are several drivers of loose teeth in adults. Some are obvious, like trauma, while others are more subtle, such as bone loss.

Whatever is behind your loose tooth (or teeth), the issue is one that you shouldn’t ignore. To explain why, the team of top-notch dental experts here at Baton Rouge Perio, which includes Dr. Kenneth Markle, Dr. Jenny Herman and, Dr. Barry Biner, pulled together a few important considerations about loose teeth below.

Behind your loose tooth

The first thing we want to explore when you have a loose tooth is the cause, as this will guide us on next steps.

For example, if there was trauma and you were left with a loose tooth, we might take a wait-and-see approach to see if the connective tissues will restrengthen. However, if that trauma was severe and the tooth is cracked or damaged, we may need to remove the tooth to avoid future issues like infection.

Outside of trauma, there are other issues that can lead to loose teeth, such as:

Gum disease (periodontitis)

One of the biggest drivers of tooth loss in the United States is gum disease, which affects nearly half of adults aged 30 and older. Preceding the loss, the tooth is often unstable and loose as bacteria eat away at the connective tissues that hold the tooth in place.

Pregnancy

Another issue that can lead to loose teeth are the hormone fluctuations associated with pregnancy. Also called pregnancy gingivitis, this condition should clear up after you give birth.

Bone loss and osteoporosis

About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone density. Overall, this issue affects women more than men. In either sex, the bone loss can affect the jawbone, causing teeth to loosen.

Why prompt care is important for your loose tooth

Anytime you have a loose tooth, it’s important to have us get to the bottom of the issue as soon as possible. As we already mentioned, if there was trauma to your tooth and it becomes more of a liability than an asset, we can remove the tooth and provide a tooth replacement, such as a dental implant.

If we find that the issue stems from gum disease, we can act swiftly to contain the damage and prevent future tooth loss by reversing the course of the periodontitis.

If bone loss is causing your teeth to loosen, we can discuss how to boost your bone health moving forward.

Even if the issue is related to pregnancy, we can provide you with some tips to deal with the loose tooth or teeth and swollen gums.

Ultimately, our goal is to help you hold on to your teeth for as long as possible and, when the time comes for replacement, provide you with some fantastic options.

For expert care of your loose tooth, we invite you to contact our office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to schedule an appointment.