If you are an adult with a loose tooth, you may have many questions like: How to tighten a loose tooth?; or How to get a loose tooth out? The tooth may be annoying you or it may hurt.
One thing is for certain, you need to get it checked immediately. The most important action an adult with a loose tooth can do is to visit their oral care provider. A dentist will perform a thorough evaluation of your mouth and may order diagnostic tools like X-rays to determine the underlying cause of the loose tooth.
How to Get a Loose Tooth Out
If you want to remove a loose tooth, please realize that part of every tooth is below the gum line. That’s why a dentist or oral surgeon is needed to carefully remove the roots which are attached to the jaw bone.
You also cannot ignore the problem. Unlike a child’s loose tooth, a loose adult tooth can not be left to resolve on its own. You will need treatment. It is important to understand that a loose adult tooth indicates a more serious problem that needs to be addressed.
Why is Good Oral Health Important?
Oral health refers to the health of your entire system that allows you to speak, smile and chew as well as your gums and teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control, many people consider oral conditions to be separate from other chronic conditions, but they are intertwined with one another.
Poor oral health is associated with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Oral disease also is associated with risky behaviors such as smoking and all tobacco use as well as eating sugary foods and beverages.
Above all when dealing with a loose tooth, you should not try to pull it or repair it yourself. It is important for the health of your teeth and gums that you let a professional treat the issue.
What Treatments Will Be Considered For My Loose Tooth?
- Splinting
If an injury caused the loose tooth, your dentist may use bonding to strengthen the tooth. The loose tooth is fitted with a splint, which is geared to support the tooth and keep the structure firmly in place. - Treatment and Grafting
In cases of gum disease, a dentist or periodontist will clean the loose tooth and clear out all gum infections. Sometimes, once infections are eliminated, receding gums will bounce back and cling to the loose tooth and surrounding teeth. In more difficult instances, an oral care provider might perform a procedure known as grafting, which is a surgical option used to stimulate gum regrowth. - Remove Tooth
Unfortunately, there may be times when the loose tooth cannot be saved. When that’s the diagnosis, the best course of action is to remove the loose tooth or teeth. Then you will want to talk to your dentist about filling the new gap with a dental implant.
Dental Implants and Missing Teeth
A loose tooth often must come out. When you lose a tooth it means both the root and the crown are removed. With an implant replacement, your oral surgeon replaces the root with a small titanium piece – the implant.
Once it is placed, the jaw heals and begins to grow around the implant with the bone bonding with the titanium over time, and a strong foundation for an artificial tooth develops. The surgeon also attaches a support post to the implant, to which a new replacement tooth – the crown – will be placed.
If the tooth is one of the molars in the back of your jaw, they have two or even three roots, so the usual approach is to use larger implants in replacing missing back teeth.
If many teeth are missing, All on 4 implants allow for fewer implants with the maximum number of replacement teeth added.
Contact Us for an Evaluation
When your dentist refers you for evaluation for tooth loss, there’s no time to waste. Loose and missing teeth need to be addressed immediately. The quicker you receive treatment, the better it will be for your oral health!
If you want to know more about your options for replacing a loose adult tooth, please get in touch with us to discuss a treatment plan at Desert Valley Oral Surgery: Contact us online or by phone at 480-539-6420.