What does it mean when your teeth fall out


What to Do When A Tooth Falls Out

Losing a tooth can be extremely upsetting. Not only does it impact the way your smile looks, but tooth loss can also impact your speech, diet, and overall oral function.

Knowing what to do when you knock out a tooth or have a dental-related injury is crucial to saving your tooth and avoiding painful infections. Better yet, you can take steps today to prevent tooth loss before it occurs in the first place.

Reasons That Teeth Fall Out

Teeth fall out for a variety of reasons. The two most common are periodontal disease and traumatic injuries.

Periodontal disease is a condition caused by plaque, tartar and bacteria around the tooth, which then infect the gums. Over time the gums “detach” and create “pockets” around the root of the tooth. The deeper the pocket, the more challenging the area is to clean on your own. At the same time, the underlying bone will begin to shrink away (resorb) due to inflammation caused by the bacterial infection. Gum disease is best treated as early as possible.

Traumatic injuries, on the other hand, tend to pop up when you least expect them. After all, anyone can fall, get bumped in the mouth, or have an accident from time to time.  If you know you’re more “at-risk” because of contact sports and similar hobbies, you should know that orofacial injuries are some of the most common that athletes will experience.

How to Protect Your Teeth

Fortunately, gum disease is usually preventable through good home care, daily flossing, and routine preventative visits at our Ottawa dentist’s office. We’ll regularly measure your attachment levels around each tooth to identify areas that show signs of early infection or detachment. By intercepting gum issues sooner, you can intervene to prevent bone loss and periodontal disease. Once the infection evolves into a severe state, preventing tooth mobility (and loss) becomes much more challenging.

Although not all traumatic injuries are preventable (such as car wrecks or slipping on an icy surface) you can lower your risk of sports-related injuries by wearing a protective mouthguard. Sports mouthguards that are custom moulded to your teeth provide the best level of protection. Why? Because they’re uniquely fitted to each of your teeth and less likely to come out of place when you need them the most. That way if there’s a secondary injury — such as getting hit during a game and then falling — it’s less likely to come out. A protective mouthguard can significantly lower your risk of:

  • Broken teeth
  • Knocked-out teeth
  • Concussions
  • Lip and cheek lacerations

 

What to Do to Prevent Permanent Adult Tooth Loss

Adult tooth loss isn’t nearly as common today as it was a few generations ago. Today’s adults have access to better preventative dental care than ever. Even if you weren’t lucky enough to have grown up with regular dental checkups, the therapies available for the modern dental patient mean that it’s possible to keep your teeth healthy for life.

The most important thing to do to prevent the loss of permanent adult teeth is to see our Ottawa dentist for routine checkups and cleanings. We’ll identify risk factors that you need to be aware of, provide preventative therapies to reduce your risk of disease, and talk to you about simple steps to reduce damage to your smile. Even if you’ve never had dental problems in the past, the best way to keep it that way is to schedule a preventative care appointment.

Emergency Steps to Save your Tooth

For knocked-out teeth, you’ll need to act quickly. First and foremost, don’t touch the tooth by the root, as you could potentially damage the microscopic fibres that aid in reattachment. Second, gently rinse away any visible debris. If possible, place the tooth back into your socket but do not force it into place.

Otherwise, store the tooth in a sealed container and completely submerge it in milk, or saline. If none of those are available you may stick the tooth under your tongue, but don’t swallow it.

Knocked-out teeth need to be treated by a dentist within 1-2 hours. Call us immediately. If possible we will attempt to reinsert the tooth or bond any broken fragments back into place. However, if there is nerve damage involved, you may require endodontic treatment to save the tooth.

Missing Tooth Replacement Options

Losing a tooth creates excess space in your bite. Even if the open area isn’t visible or causing cosmetic concerns, it can impact the overall alignment of your entire smile. It’s like taking one book off of a bookshelf and watching the other books tilt to the side. The same thing can happen to our smiles. In time, surrounding teeth will begin to drift out of place. Opposing teeth may also “super-erupt” in an attempt to find a biting partner. So even if the missing tooth is located in the back of your mouth, your front teeth can be impacted.

To prevent changes in tooth alignment, it’s best to replace your missing tooth as soon as possible. That way you’re able to preserve natural spacing and function on an overall basis.

Some of the most popular Ottawa tooth replacement treatments include dental implants, fixed bridges, and removable partial dentures. Implants are the preferred line of treatment, in that they’re permanent and non-invasive to your adjacent teeth. We’ll review the best options with you given your situation so that you can make an informed decision about your smile’s future.

In Pain? Broken Tooth? Call Now!

Parkdale Dental Centre offers comprehensive family and emergency dentistry for all ages. If you’re in pain, have a knocked-out tooth, or need to see a dentist because of some type of traumatic injury, we encourage you to call. Our team will arrange to see you as soon as possible and offer guidance on the best steps to take until you can get to our office.

Contact us today! Same-day appointments may be available.

4 Things That Cause Teeth to Fall Out - Oral Health - Asheboro Dentist

Posted by Williams Dentistry & filed under General Dental Articles, oral health.

When many of us think about losing our teeth, we may assume that this is something that just happens as we get older. But, according to the American Dental Association, more Americans are keeping their teeth longer than ever before, which is great news! However, this doesn’t just happen naturally and there are things we need to do to increase our chances of keeping all of our teeth for life. Because of this, your dentist in Asheboro wants to share some of the most common things that cause teeth to fall out so you can do everything you can to avoid them. 
  • Gum Disease

The number one cause of tooth loss in American adults is gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. Gum disease occurs when bacteria work their way up under the gum tissue and settle in, causing an infection. This infection can be treated if caught early, but if it’s not taken care of, it will begin to destroy both the gum tissue and the jaw bone — both of which help hold teeth in place. Without this support structure, teeth will become loose and eventually fall out. 

  • Cavities

Almost all of us have experienced at least one cavity and know the discomfort that can come along with it. The reason cavities hurt is that a cavity is essentially a tiny hole in a tooth that may affect the inner workings of the tooth where the nerves and roots are held. The result is the all too familiar zing of tooth pain. Cavities can be treated quickly and easily by your dentist in Asheboro if they’re caught early. However, when they’re left untreated, cavities can destroy a tooth from the inside out and either require a root canal or result in a lost tooth. 

  • Accidents or Trauma

Even if you take perfect care of your teeth you may still experience tooth loss as a result of an accident or trauma. Tooth loss is an incredibly common side effect of many sports injuries and even car accidents or falls. While we can’t do much to completely avoid accidents or trauma to our teeth, we can take certain preventive measures such as wearing a mouthguard every time we play a sport. 

  • Whole-Body Health Concerns

Other common causes of tooth loss in adults don’t initially appear to have anything to do with the mouth and actually originate and directly affect other areas of the body. However, there is a strong correlation between what happens in our bodies and what happens in our mouths. Therefore, there are several whole-body health concerns that can increase the risk of tooth loss, such as: 

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Smoking
  • Poor Diet
  • Arthritis

Nobody wants to experience tooth loss, but the good news is there are some simple things you can do to give yourself the best chance of keeping your teeth for life. Make sure you brush and floss your teeth every single day, avoid smoking or using tobacco products, and of course, see your dentist in Asheboro at least every six months for regular checkups and cleanings. 

interpretation of dreams about tooth loss

Tooth loss in Miller's dream book

Any dream in which you remain without a tooth is a harbinger of trouble, even if it is removed by a dentist - in this case, get ready for serious and long-term health problems. Spitting out teeth in a dream also speaks of illnesses (yours or loved ones). You just lost a tooth - it means that your pride will not stand under the yoke of circumstances, and your labors will be in vain. It matters how many teeth fell out: one - to sad news, two - to a series of failures due to their neglect of business, three - to very big troubles, all - to grief.

Loss of teeth in Vanga's dream book

The soothsayer associated the loss of teeth in a dream with the sudden death of a person from your environment (if with blood, then the closest relative). Worse, if a tooth is pulled out, your friend will be overtaken by a violent death, and the criminal will go unpunished. In this case, Vanga advises not to reproach yourself, you need to accept that this is fate. Left completely without teeth? Tune in to an interesting life, but a lonely old age, as you will outlive your loved ones and friends.

Loss of teeth in the Islamic dream book

Interpreters of the Koran can find directly opposite explanations for the meaning of dreams about teeth falling out. Some believe that this is an indicator of life expectancy. The more teeth you lose, the longer you will live (life will be rich if the teeth fall into your hands). Others warn that such a dream may be followed by the death of a loved one from illness. Who exactly? The upper teeth symbolize men, the lower teeth symbolize women. The canine is the head of the family, the right incisor is the father, the left is the father's brother. If one of them is no longer alive, then it may be their closest relatives or friends. But if all your teeth fall out, then this is a good sign, the longest life in the family awaits you.

For debtors, a dream about teeth falling out means a quick repayment of the loan.

Loss of teeth in Freud's dream book

The psychoanalyst correlated dreams about teeth with a craving for masturbation and fears that others would become aware of this. The loss of a tooth (whether it was pulled out or it fell out on its own) reflects the fear of punishment in the form of castration for masturbation. If you deliberately shook the tooth so that it fell out faster, then you like self-satisfaction more than sexual contacts with the opposite sex.

Loss of teeth in the dream book of Nostradamus

Do you have some serious goal, but did you dream of a lost tooth? Get together, otherwise, due to your own inaction and confusion, you risk disrupting all plans. If an empty hole remains after a tooth falls out, then you will grow old earlier than expected, as you will quickly lose vitality.

Loss of teeth in Loff's dream book

Agree that being left without teeth is an awkward situation. Therefore, the psychoanalyst associated such dreams with the fear of losing face in public and situations in which you will have to feel embarrassed.

But dreams about teeth falling out can also have a purely physical component - teeth grinding in a dream or their high sensitivity.

Loss of teeth in Tsvetkov's dream book

The scientist advises to pay attention to the method of losing a tooth: pulled out - an annoying person will disappear from your life, knocked out - expect a series of failures. If any of the processes is accompanied by bleeding, then one of your relatives will die.

Loss of teeth in the Esoteric dream book

Painless loss of a tooth indicates that connections that did not play a special role in your life will disappear by themselves. If at this moment blood flowed, then the separation will turn out to be painful.

Painful loss of teeth portends that people who did not play a significant role in it will soon disappear from your life. Photo: globallookpress.com

Psychologist's comment

Maria Koledina, psychologist:

Loss of teeth in dreams has an archaic character and is often accompanied by a feeling of fear or horror. Because in ancient times, being left without teeth meant hunger, and this is tantamount to death.

In men, the loss of teeth in a dream may be related to the actualization of the fear of death, first of all, as a man, associated with the loss of his sexual activity and aggression. Losing teeth symbolically means losing competition to another male, lowering in status, getting a blow to self-esteem. For example, such a dream may occur after a situation where a man could not defend himself.

A dream about the loss of teeth in women can also be related to the topic of sexuality, aggression and fear for its manifestations. Loss of teeth in such dreams may be the result of a strong sense of guilt and a form of punishment. Such a dream can also occur after a situation where a woman, instead of “showing her teeth”, was silent, that is, she suppressed her aggression.

causes and treatment - ROOTT

Main causes How to treat? Prevention Where to go?

Toothless smiles of small children seem charming to us. With adults, the situation is different. Lack of teeth not only spoils the smile, it greatly reduces the quality of life. Loss of teeth changes diction, leads to a violation of the oval of the face. Food is not chewed to the full, problems with the gastrointestinal tract and defects in the jaw joints develop. Loss of teeth can lead to social isolation, depression, neurological disorders.

Why do teeth fall out? The reasons are different, from injuries to inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.

6 reasons why adult teeth fall out

1. Periodontitis (or parodontosis)

Our teeth are not just a root in the gum and a crown part on top. The tooth is surrounded by supporting ligaments, tissues, cementum. Healthy tissues securely hold the tooth in the alveolus. It performs all its functions to the fullest.

Poor oral hygiene contributes to the accumulation of bacterial plaque. From there, microbes enter the gums and cause inflammation. Periodontitis (periodontal disease) develops. In this case, partial or complete resorption of the supporting structures occurs. Pathological tooth mobility develops. Periodontitis and tooth loss are closely related, and in fact periodontal diseases are 11th most common in the world [1] .

2. Caries

The plaque that remains on the teeth after eating gradually destroys the tooth enamel, reaches the next layer - the dentin, and then the pulp (the base of the tooth). Running caries causes inflammation of the tissues around the root - periodontitis. Fistulas, cysts, and granulomas may form. The result is loosening and loss of teeth. Caries and periodontal disease are the main factors that lead to partial or complete adentia (lack of teeth).

3. Injuries

Lost healthy teeth? AT 20% of cases [2] Accidents are to blame: accidents, falls from bicycles, sports injuries. The World Health Organization refers to injuries and malocclusion [2] . It also serves to loosen, and hence the risk of tooth loss.

4. General diseases

When teeth fall out, the disease that provokes this may not be dental, but general (diabetes, lupus). Any autoimmune disease lowers the immune system, turning a small amount of inflammation into a major problem.

5. Wrong diet

To stay strong, dental tissue needs nutrients. Calcium, potassium, vitamins D and C, phosphorus, fluorine affect the condition of the teeth. Lack of vitamins and minerals weakens tissues. Food rich in sugars, acids and carbohydrates leads to the same result.

6. Bad habits

First up is smoking. Male smokers lose their teeth by 3.6 times [3] more often than non-smokers. Women - 2.5 times . [3] Smoking provokes periodontal disease, also masks the symptoms, bringing the disease to severe stages.

Second is bruxism. Most often, people grind their teeth in their sleep without even knowing it. Enamel is erased, caries or periodontal disease develops.

There are more than 6 reasons why teeth fall out, but the rest are not so common. You can’t stay without teeth for a long time, over time, a deficiency of bone tissue will develop, so before removing it, you need to immediately think about restoration. There are also rare diseases that can lead to tooth loss.

What to do if you lose teeth

Ideally, avoid this state. But if your tooth falls out or at least begins to stagger, you should immediately contact your dentist.

He will diagnose, consider all symptoms, and begin treatment to prevent the loss of other teeth or keep the loose one.

Only a doctor can determine the disease due to which the teeth fall out and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Treatment

Medical intervention is carried out in two directions. Physician's task:

  1. Prevent further tooth loss
  2. Restore dentition

In the first case, treatment depends on the diagnosis. This includes professional teeth cleaning and drug therapy, and remineralization (replenishing the lack of minerals).

The second direction is prosthetics. What threatens the loss of teeth, we discussed at the beginning of the article. Therefore, the task of the dentist is to restore the chewing function and the aesthetics of the smile. It is solved using:

  • Fixed prosthetics

Bridges visually restore the dentition, but in reality they cannot evenly distribute the masticatory load. They are recommended to be installed in the absence of 1-2 units. In addition, in order to put a bridge, the adjacent teeth are depulped (the nerve is removed), depriving them of nutrition.

  • Removable prosthetics

Removable dentures are used mainly in the absence of several or all teeth, and braces, in the presence of at least 6 good ones. If there are not enough upper teeth, then lamellar prostheses are quite firmly fixed due to suction to the upper palate. On the lower jaw, you often have to use a special cream.

  • Implantation

This is the only method that is as close as possible to natural teeth. The load on the implant stimulates metabolic processes and blood flow in the tissues. The bone tissue remains firm, keeping the oval of the face and the youthfulness of the smile. The load on the chewing teeth is evenly distributed. Well-chewed food does not irritate the mucous membranes. In addition, any type of prosthetics is applicable on implants.

Prophylaxis

To keep healthy teeth as long as possible, you need to eliminate the causes of loss. To do this, it is enough to follow simple rules:

  • brush your teeth thoroughly but gently;
  • floss;
  • have your teeth professionally cleaned regularly;
  • visit a doctor at least once every 6 months;
  • give up bad habits;
  • establish a balanced diet;
  • use protective mouth guards during training or extreme entertainment to avoid situations in which the tooth falls out once.

Where to go if your teeth start to fall out

In a clinic with a strong diagnostic base and experienced doctors. Do not chase low cost, but check:

  • what equipment is used to make a diagnosis;
  • whether there are certificates for materials and consumables;
  • qualifications of doctors.

MCDI ROOTT has diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical and implantation departments. Experts from different fields work in one place, exchanging experience and solving problems in a complex. Each department uses modern equipment and innovative technologies. Membership in the European Open Society of Dentists contributes to this.

The clinic has a customer support service, where you can contact with any question.

Come, we will restore your smile.


Sources:

[1] https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health

[2] https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health

[3] https://journals.


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