If you have a child with a loose tooth working on getting their adult teeth, no one worries. However, if you’re an adult with a loose tooth, it’s normal to be concerned as that is a sign of extensive dental problems that typically include other symptoms as well. If you develop a loose tooth as a teenager or adult, you may also have the following symptoms:

  • bleeding gums
  • gum recession
  • inflamed gums
  • swollen gums
loose tooth causes symptoms treatement

If you do have any of these symptoms, it means you are suffering from an underlying disease and that you should discuss the potential causes with your dentist. Visiting the dentist will offer a quick response in finding out if it’s just oral gum disease related or if there’s more to it that.

Other causes of a loose tooth include:

  • Teeth Grinding – also known as bruxism, teeth grinding is commonly caused from stress and tension and typically occurs at night.
  • Tooth Injury – Getting hit (especially in sporting activities), falling, and car accidents can cause a loose tooth and can be quite painful.

Treatment for a loose tooth in adults

Dental treatment for a loose tooth involves a multi-step process. The first step is for you to receive a special deep cleaning for your teeth to remove any and all plaque and to assist the gum tissue around the tooth. Removing the hardened plaque underneath your gums and around your teeth is called scaling and root planing. We’ll also provide a prescription for antibiotics to kill any infections that you may have causing gum recession. The scaling process removes the tartar and bacteria and the root planing smooths out the surface of the root of your teeth so that the gums can reattach properly to the root of your tooth.

After the dental deep cleaning, there are surgery options if we don’t quickly see an improvement. The options include:

  • Bite adjustment
  • Bone grafting
  • Flap surgery
  • Mouth guard
  • Splinting

To find out what the best solution to your loose tooth is, call our Keller, TX dentist office at (817) 431-5514