What Causes Loose Teeth?
If you get the feeling that one or more teeth are feeling a bit loose, there can be a variety of reasons.
While the origin in children is clear from tooth development and falling baby teeth, in adults the symptom can result from untreated periodontitis, an accident, teeth grinding, ill-fitting dentures, or an underlying medical condition.
In order to be able to make an accurate diagnosis after noticing loose teeth and to start the necessary treatment, if necessary, a dentist should be consulted as soon as possible. The sooner a specialist can be consulted and determine what is causing the loose teeth, the lower the likelihood that dentures will be necessary.
Causes of loose teeth
Possible reasons for loose teeth in adults are injuries and accidents, for example a fall with severe trauma that loosens a tooth or even several teeth. Another reason is a gradual overloading of the chewing apparatus as a result of nightly grinding of teeth. However, by far the most likely underlying cause of loose teeth is untreated periodontitis, which results in gum and bone loss.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is caused by inflammation in the so-called periodontium, which consists of connective tissue and connects the tooth with the jawbone. The origin of the inflammation, in turn, is bacteria in the oral cavity, which collect in the plaque and aggressively multiply from there.
Periodontitis is associated with inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and, starting from plaque, can attack the entire periodontium over time. Signs of gingivitis are slightly discolored gums and bleeding gums. If this inflammation spreads from the gums to the periodontium, it is called periodontitis.
This inflammation also gradually leads to loosening of the teeth, unless the process of bone loss caused by periodontitis is stopped. This bone loss is reflected in the gradual loss of the bone that supports the tooth.
Tooth accident
Depending on the severity of the accident, teeth can loosen slightly or severely. The dental emergency service uses splints for the immediate measure of tooth preservation. However, there is a possibility that the tooth loses its vitality as a result of trauma, such as a fall, which can be accompanied by an interrupted blood supply and a rupture of the dental nerve. In this case, a root canal treatment is usually carried out first.
Incorrectly fitted crowns and bridges
If there is an ill-fitting tooth crown or dental bridge in the teeth, this will result in incorrect loading of the teeth over time. If this persists, the constant pressure on the periodontium can cause excessive stress on the bone - the result is bone loss.
With the most modern, high-precision diagnostic methods, however, such incorrect loading can already be prevented during the production of the respective dentures.
Nighttime crunch
If there is a risk of loose teeth from grinding your teeth at night and teeth become loose as a result of overloading the chewing apparatus, this behavior can be curbed with a grinding splint. Your dentist will give you detailed advice at any time and give you valuable tips on what to do in this case.