Why Do My Teeth Feel Loose, What if your teeth are not as healthy as you thought and you have noticed that some of them have started to feel loose?
Having a loose tooth is an uncomfortable sensation, particular when brushing or eating. This sensation is most likely to occur in the morning and then gradually lessen during the day and by evening it might feel normal. When this occurs, you may be tempted to ignore the problem, but it is important you visit the physician.
It is also essential to have a healthy set of teeth after all that is one of the first things people often notice about us, hence we go to great lengths to enhance our teeth. The following are in fact the major reasons why the teeth feel loose.
Oral trauma
One of the most common causes of a loosen tooth is oral trauma; an injury to the oral mucosa (mouth). It can be as a result of physical, chemical, or thermal conditions or from accidental tooth bite, hot/hard food, sharp edges of teeth, or even via excessive tooth brushing.
Trauma can affect the tooth enamel, dentin, pulp, gum, root, periodontal ligament. Injuries to permanent teeth are common results of falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and violence.
Avulsions are characterized by complete displacement of the tooth from the socket. When a tooth has experienced trauma, the periodontal ligaments that hold the tooth in place gets stretched.
There are thousands of ligaments lining the outside of the tooth root which allows the teeth to experience the minor pressures of chewing crunchy foods or minor dental trauma without falling out. However, when these ligaments become stretched, the tooth moves more than usual, making it feel loose.
Periodontitis is a chronic infection that affects the gums and the bones that support the teeth. Bacteria and the body’s own immune system break down the bones and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. Teeth may eventually become loose, fall out, or have to be removed.
TYPES OF ORAL TRAUMAS
1. Concussion: This is the most soft type of trauma that can be inflicted on teeth where the fibers of the periodontal ligament may be strained and a few may be severed, but quite enough support remains to keep the tooth intact in the socket so that there is no measurable increase in teeth loose. If not properly taken care of, it may result to subluxation.
2. Subluxation: This is an aggravated concussion. At this point, there is greater damage to the periodontal ligament with more fibers, as well as some gingival capillaries, being stretched. Even though the tooth remains in place in its socket, a noticeable amount of movement can be elicited.
Edema of the surrounding gingiva and interstitial bleeding from within the gingival sulcus is evident. Pain is felt when the tooth is lightly touched or taped; and slight damage to the neurovascular bundle of the pulp could be noticed.
3. Extrusive Luxation: It involves sufficiently severe trauma so as to dislodge the tooth. The tooth is dislodged outwards away from the tooth socket in a direction generally parallel to the tooth orientation.
The tooth seems to have lengthened as part of the tooth root has been exposed. But the alveolar bone in the tooth socket is usually not damaged.
4. Lateral Luxation: The displacement of the tooth along any direction that is roughly perpendicular to the axial or longitudinal axis of the tooth is known as Lateral luxation.
In this type of luxation, fracture of the socket alveolar bone is always present and is quite common along the labial or lingual side of either jaw arches. The periodontal ligament on the side of the fracture undergoes trauma compression.
5. Intrusive Luxation: At this stage, a tooth is driven further into alveolar socket and is characterized by a fractured and crushed alveolar bone. The periodontal ligament and pulp blood and nerve connections are torn off and compressed respectively.
At times, the tooth becomes completely submerged into the jawbone, and might penetrate the nasal cavity. It may eventually lead to pulpal necrosis. Anyone at any time can be a victim of Dental trauma. Regardless of the cause, victims of dental trauma have a better chance of recovery if they act quickly and get the treatment they need right away.
Gum disease Another common cause of loosening teeth is gum disease. When food particles are not removed through proper brushing practices and dental cleanings, it hardens into a greenish substance known as tartar.
This can begin to accumulate below the gum line, providing a reservoir for bacteria to breed which eventually leads to an infection if left untreated. Prolonged lack of treatment destroys the gum tissue and can damage the periodontal ligaments that hold the teeth in place, at this stage it can result in this the total loss of teeth.
RELATED: HOW LONG DO FILLINGS LAST
Osteoporosis
This is a condition which is usually seen in women over the age of fifty following menopause and on rare occasions in men. It is a degenerating condition that affects bone density, causing bones and gums to weaken and become prone to fractures; this typically affects the bone in the gums and as a result, can lead to receding gums and even tooth loss.
It is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. it develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break. The body constantly absorbs and replaces bone tissue. With osteoporosis, new bone creation doesn’t keep up with old bone removal.
Many people have no symptoms until they have a bone fracture. Several studies have found a link between alveolar bone loss and an increase in loose in tooth loss. The chances of women with this disease to experience tooth loss is pretty higher than those who do not have the disease.
A healthy lifestyle can be critically important for keeping bones strong. Treatment includes medication, a healthy diet and weight-bearing exercise to help prevent bone loss or strengthen already weak bones. You can take many important steps to optimize your bone health, for example:
Eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in calcium and vitamin D. The main causes of osteoporosis are aging, menopause, and lack of nutrients like vitamin D. Because of this, osteoporosis can have a direct negative effect on gum and periodontal disease, leading to loss of teeth.
Engage in weight-bearing activities – such as walking, jogging, and dancing – they are best for keeping bones strong.
Resistance exercises, such as lifting weights, also can strengthen bones. Don’t smoke, and reduce alcohol intake.
Report any issues with loose teeth, detached or receding gums, and loose or ill-fitting dentures to your dentist and your doctor.
Remedy
The best course of preventive action is to increase calcium intake through foods supplements as this will help to strengthen the jaw.