Can A Loose Tooth Fix Itself?
It’s normal for a person’s teeth to wiggle a tiny bit because of the flexibility of the ligaments that hold them into place and help them handle the forces of biting and chewing. If your secondary, or permanent, tooth is wiggling more than a millimeter or so, though, you should see a dentist. If you have a loose tooth, your dentist can work with you to figure out why the tooth is loose and how to fix it. A loose tooth requires dental attention, though; if your tooth is noticeably loose, it won’t get better without prompt intervention, and only a dentist can determine the risk of a loose tooth continuing to loosen and eventually fall out. A significantly loose tooth won’t fix itself, but if it’s left loose long enough, it could detach and fall out completely or need to be extracted, and it could cause a fair amount of discomfort and awkwardness in the meantime.
If you withstand an impact that injures the face, either through an accident or fall or during a sport or other activity, see your dentist as soon as you can. Your dentist will examine your mouth and teeth and assess the level of damage to the tooth and the jaw, taking x-rays if they’re needed. If your tooth is only slightly loose, your dentist may determine that it will tighten on its own as it heals. If damage to the tooth and surrounding tissues is minor, a slightly loose tooth could heal and tighten in a matter of just a few weeks. It’s imperative to treat the loose tooth with caution while it heals, and make sure to keep your dentist informed if the condition of the tooth worsens in any way.
If your tooth is loose and no injury or trauma has occurred, your dentist will first determine the reason for the loose tooth. Treatment for the loose tooth will vary depending on the cause. If your tooth is loose because of gum disease, your dentist will treat the gum disease by deep cleaning the teeth above and below the gum line and smoothing rough surfaces to encourage the reattachment of healthy gum tissue to the now-clean surfaces of the teeth. This deep cleaning and root reshaping is called a scaling and root planing treatment and is the first line of defense against periodontal disease. To create an environment that encourages the continued vitality of the teeth and gums, you may also get a prescription for antibiotics to ensure the health of the oral cavity.
If scaling and root planing does sufficiently heal a patient of periodontitis, surgical methods may be recommended. There are a few different kinds of surgery that dental professionals recommend for patients with loose teeth caused by advanced gum disease, including flap surgery, bone grafts, soft tissue grafts, and splinting. Other procedures use mechanical means to reduce stress on the teeth, like reshaping the enamel on a tooth to improve its alignment with its opposite tooth while biting, or providing mouth guards for patients to wear to reduce the stress caused by clenching or grinding the teeth. You can prevent your teeth from loosening in the first place by practicing good oral hygiene, seeing your dentist regularly, and taking precautionary measures to reduce strain on the teeth when necessary.