Most people may not know that teeth do not sit solidly in the jaw bone, but there is a layer of soft tissue called periodontal ligament which takes some of the stress of the biting load as well as acting as a monitoring mechanism which tells your brain in detecting how much of the load to use when chewing (e.g. hard or soft food). Consequently, it is normal for very slight movement of your teeth especially for the smaller teeth such as your lower front incisor teeth.
However, larger movement of your teeth or any obvious wobbliness of your teeth could be a sign of more serious underlying issues. Loose teeth are most commonly found as a result of bone loss or loss of the supporting tissue of your teeth due to periodontal/”gum” disease. Teeth may also become loose due to heavy clenching or grinding of the teeth. This could occur when you have been very stressed and not surprisingly during the COVID-19 lockdowns, there were many people who have been very stressed due to the uncertainty or fear of catching the virus.
A tooth may also become loose due to fracture from trauma or even looseness of the filling rather than the tooth itself.
In certain individuals, there may be a combination of teeth grinding habits on a reduced periodontal support, meaning a person may grind and also have had lost of bone support due to gum disease. In these individuals, they may have lost a few teeth particularly the back teeth due to periodontal disease and have placed too much load on the remaining teeth (e.g. remaining front teeth).
In all cases, it is of paramount importance, to visit an experienced periodontist to ascertain the root cause of the tooth mobility or looseness.
How do I make my teeth strong again?
Due to the many potential causes of tooth mobility, it is important that the correct diagnosis is made at the start. The treatment should obviously be geared towards finding out the cause of the tooth mobility, to treat the underlying disease and preventing further deterioration.
What if I have gum or periodontal disease?
Gum or periodontal disease in most cases would require treatment. It should not be ignored, as continued recession and further bone loss around teeth are likely.
The first step in the treatment is to see a periodontist and the initial treatment involves deep cleaning (“scaling and root planning”). For many patients, this treatment along with excellent oral hygiene at home and regular check-ups or maintenance can help stop periodontitis and prevent further gum or bone loss. This will also help to strengthen the teeth so that your teeth will feel tighter.
In certain cases, more advanced treatment may be required to repair the damaged bone supporting tissue with surgery or regeneration (rebuilding) of the lost supporting bone and soft tissue.
What if I am afraid of biting because my teeth are loose?
People with treated gum disease may have their teeth splinted or stuck together to reduce the amount of movement. This would give you the added confidence when chewing. In certain cases, if the teeth are too wobbly, replacement of the teeth would be required.
What if my partner tells me that I grind at night?
Clenching or grinding of teeth may lead to not only loose teeth but may also cause jaw-ache, jaw clicking, pain on biting hard food or pain at the region of the muscles which support your jaws (such as headache at the temple), worn teeth or fracturing of your teeth or fillings.
A mouthguard or an occlusal splint may be required. This is worn when you sleep to protect your teeth from excessive biting force on your teeth. In patients with jaw pain, relaxing your jaw by avoiding the chewing of hard food temporarily or the use of hot towel placed at the region of your jaw muscles may help. In severe cases, anti-inflammatory painkillers may be necessary.
What if I am afraid of losing more teeth due to gum disease and my current teeth are already quite loose?
For some people who have already had gum treatment, it may be sensible to consider the replacement of the gaps in your mouth with dental implants, dentures or bridges so that the chewing load could be spread to more teeth and thus help to strengthen your own natural teeth.
In some cases, long term planning in terms of replacement of the loose teeth may also need to be considered.
What should I do now and do I need a referral to see a gum specialist?
You do not need a referral from your dentist or doctor to see a gum specialist. Our specialist periodontist, Dr Constantine Ong, will carry out a comprehensive assessment and discuss the various treatment options in detail with you. Take the first step now by contacting us.
