A tooth which is only slightly loose may well tighten back up itself, though it's best to consult your dentist in case anyway.
The best thing to do is to visit a dentist for guidance and treatment. Your dentist may suggest you rinse with salt water regularly to clear the bacteria from your mouth. This will hopefully let the bone and tissue mend, resulting in your tooth tightening back up after a few weeks.
There's a chance that a loose tooth will tighten back up, but it depends on the cause. It's best to immediately consult your dentist if you're an adult with a loose tooth.
But it's unlikely that they'll heal on their own, and the amount of help they need to do this depends on the situation. Some of the main causes of loose permanent teeth are periodontal disease, tooth decay or abscess and impact or trauma (this could involve a sports injury, an accident or even biting something hard).
Rinsing with saltwater can sometimes help soothe swollen gums and flush bacteria out of the mouth, but it can't tighten loose teeth that are caused by dental disease or injuries. If you have symptoms of a loose tooth, it's always best to contact your dentist immediately to ensure you receive the correct treatment.
You don't want to brush or floss a loose tooth because it can make the situation worse; however, you still need to keep your mouth clean. Carefully brush and floss your other teeth and rinse your mouth with a warm salt and water mixture.
Loose teeth take anywhere from a few days to a few months to fall out. If your child's loose baby tooth remains in place for more than that, contact their dentist. Wiggling the tooth can speed up the process, but before you do that, keep reading for some must-know information.
After it starts to loosen, the tooth can take up to a few weeks to fall out. As long as you don't see any redness or swelling around the gums of the tooth, it's best to let the tooth fall out on its own.
The most common way is through a bite adjustment, where teeth are altered to equilibrate chewing forces evenly. This results in all the teeth being hit at the same time allowing the loose teeth to heal and tighten up. Another option is splinting teeth together.
Tooth is only slightly loose
A tooth which is only slightly loose may well tighten back up itself, though it's best to consult your dentist in case anyway. You may notice some light bleeding at the tooth, and will need to avoid biting/chewing with it- rather stick to soft foods as outlined above.
Why Do My Teeth Feel Loose? If your teeth feel loose, it is likely due to one of three main causes: gum disease, trauma or bruxism. Of these, gum disease is the most common cause. Gum disease occurs when pockets of bacteria are created between the tooth and the gums, causing them to recede and make the tooth loose.
Braces are common in teens and kids, so most people assume that after that age, teeth don't shift. This couldn't be further from the truth. While teeth do tend to move more dramatically as a child grows and their jaw grows with them, shifting can happen throughout our lives.
Call Your Dentist Immediately
Call the doctor at once if you notice a loose tooth. It's important to discover not only the best treatment, but the reason for your loose tooth as well. A loose tooth can be caused by several different conditions, and none of them should be ignored.
Your child will begin losing their baby teeth around the age of six. The first teeth to be lost are usually the lower and upper front teeth. This is then followed by the eruption of the first big adult teeth at the back (first permanent molars). The last baby tooth is usually lost around the age of 12 years.
The results of the first studies, based on the movement of 30 teeth in 15 subjects over 84 days, have been summarized in a recent publication. 1 These results showed that the overall mean velocity of tooth movement was 3.8 mm/day, or about 1.1 mm/month.
The tongue is a very strong muscle, and when it moves incorrectly, the muscles of the mouth can't function properly. If your tongue habitually pushes forward during swallowing, it can cause your teeth to move.
For example, if one pushes continuously on a crooked tooth, it may cause movement. Rapid movement that could cause nerve pain, damage gums, trigger inflammation, and cause the rest of teeth to shift into deeper misalignment.
A tooth doesn't move in a healthy mouth, so signs of movement such as wobbles always have an underlying cause. The main cause of a loose adult tooth in any position is gum disease. However, in some cases teeth grinding or injury (such as an accidental blunt impact to the teeth or jaw) are the cause.
Baby and permanent teeth are both slightly pliable because of your periodontal ligaments, the small muscle fibers that hold the roots of your teeth in place. Although some movement is normal, if a tooth can move more than 1 mm, it has greater mobility than it should.
Your teeth shifting is a natural consequence of aging and regular activity like chewing but can lead to problems if not addressed or severe.
It happens for a variety of reasons: periodontal disease, teeth grinding, not wearing a retainer, and plain old aging are all potential causes of shifting teeth.
The first teeth to get loose are the bottom central incisors (the teeth in the very front). Tooth loss usually happens in pairs, so when the right central incisor gets loose, expect the left-side counterpart to follow suit within the upcoming weeks or months.
Humans only get two sets of teeth in their lifetime: 20 primary (baby) teeth and 32 secondary (permanent) teeth. If you lose any of your secondary teeth, your teeth will not grow back a third time. Previous FAQWhat is the hardest tooth to extract?