Solutions for a Loose Permanent Tooth

Losing a tooth is a rite of passage when you're a child, but becomes a dental emergency once your permanent teeth come in. Fortunately, your emergency dentists, Dr. Michael Caserta and Dr. Adrian Basu of Dental Associates of Shelton in Shelton, CT, offer treatments that can help stabilize your loose tooth.

Why teeth loosen

Permanent teeth can loosen due to:

  • Trauma: A fall or blow to the mouth may be the reason that your tooth is loose.
  • Grinding or Clenching: Grinding or clenching your teeth at night could crack or loosen teeth.
  • Gum Disease: A bacterial infection caused by gum disease can destroy bone, tissue, and ligaments that hold your teeth in place.
  • Pregnancy: Hormone levels increase during pregnancy and may weaken or loosen the bones and ligaments around your teeth.
  • Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis, a condition that weakens the bones, can loosen teeth if it affects the jawbone.

Loose teeth are a dental emergency and require an immediate call to the Shelton, CT, dental office. Unfortunately, loose teeth don't get better on their own. If you don't visit your emergency dentist right away, you may lose your tooth.

Treating loose teeth

Treatment for loose teeth depends on the cause and the severity of the problem. Your dentist may use a splint to stabilize your tooth by bonding it to the teeth on either side. Permanently or temporarily splinting the tooth decreases pressure on it when you chew and gives the tooth time to heal.

Your dentist may recommend bite adjustment if your tooth loosened due to grinding. Removing small amounts of tooth enamel in strategic locations decreases pressure on your tooth, allowing it to heal and become more stable.

You'll need to treat your gum disease if the disease is the cause of your problem. You may need a deep cleaning to remove plaque and bacteria above and below your gum line. Flap surgery to reattach your gums to your teeth or bone or tissue grafts to replace lost bone or gum tissue may also be needed.

Do you have a loose tooth? Call your emergency dentists in Shelton, CT, Dr. Caserta and Dr. Basu of Dental Associates of Shelton at (203) 924-4115 to schedule your appointment.