4 Reasons Why Teeth Loosen and How to Treat It
Our teeth move imperceptibly and it is something normal, but when they show an exaggerated movement it starts to be worrying. Having loose teeth, to the naked eye, is a sign that you have advanced periodontal disease. For this reason we leave you the 4 reasons why teeth loosen and how to treat it to prevent tooth loss.
Main causes
1. Periodontitis
This is a gum disease in which inflammation caused by the accumulation of bacteria next to and under the gum leads to loss of the bone supporting the teeth. When tooth mobility due to periodontitis is detected, it is usually advanced and on many occasions can even cause tooth loss.
2. Nerve infection
When we have a tooth with advanced caries, the nerve of this is affected generating a lot of pain and this favors tooth movement.
3. Tooth fracture
This can be caused by a blow or even by eating something very hard that has caused a fracture.
4. Bruxism
This can produce a mechanical overload that produces a widening of the ligament that fixes the tooth, which allows the tooth to increase its movement.
Teeth support
The support of the teeth in the mouth is provided by three tissues:
- Gum
- Periodontal ligament
- Bone
These three elements are responsible for the stability of the teeth in the mouth. Periodontal disease or periodontitis affects these tissues causing inflammation and subsequent destruction.
When teeth move it is because these tissues have been attacked by periodontitis and are being destroyed.
What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis is mainly caused by not brushing your teeth properly and not going to the dentist every 6 months to perform proper dental hygiene.
In the dental checkups that we perform at Lamicq Dental Care, in addition to removing plaque and dental tartar, any signs of gum disease are assessed, advice is given to improve dental hygiene and thus prevent the onset of periodontitis.
Food debris and bacterial plaque that we do not remove when brushing our teeth stick to the visible surface of the teeth, this is tartar.
The accumulation of tartar on the teeth produces an inflammation of the gums, gingivitis. When gingivitis is not treated, the accumulated tartar begins to settle under the gums, in contact with the bone that supports the tooth.
Because this tartar is below the gums and not visible, it is much more difficult to clean and remove, so it begins to cause a silent bacterial infection that begins to destroy the bone that supports the tooth.
Causes of periodontitis
As we mentioned in the previous section, periodontitis is mainly caused by excessive tartar accumulation that is not treated in time and gingivitis evolves into the famous periodontitis.
There are 2 simple ways to be able to avoid this and that is:
- Good tooth brushing: It is the basic part to maintain good dental health so we must brush our teeth after every meal to prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
- Use of dental floss: It is the indispensable complement to finish a good oral cleaning since it guarantees us to eliminate food residues between the teeth that are imperceptible and it is what can generate the formation of tartar.
- Periodic dental cleanings: It is important to have a dental cleaning with your dentist every 4 to 6 months depending on your dental health. This helps to remove tartar, strengthen tooth enamel and diagnose any more serious problems ahead of time.
How to treat periodontitis
If the periodontitis is in an advanced stage and the teeth are already loose, 2 things must be done urgently to try to save the teeth:
- Endodontics: Nerve treatment prevents and eliminates infections of the root of the tooth that sometimes causes the tooth to become loose. If you suffer from periodontitis, you should perform a root canal and place a post to provide the stability and strength required to keep it from coming out.
- Deep dental cleaning with scaling: Having periodontitis is the same as having a very high accumulation of tartar, so you should proceed to scrape and clean as much tartar as possible to reduce gum inflammation and try to regain normal functionality. In some occasions, even 2 or 3 cleanings of these characteristics should be done.
When this disease is in an advanced stage, sometimes it is not possible to save the teeth. This is why it is extremely important to always have preventive treatments and not wait until you have a serious problem that can cause this.
How to treat periodontitis
At Lamicq Dental Care we specialize in the treatment of periodontitis and endodontics, complementary treatments to prevent tooth loss due to this disease-.
In Costa Rica, according to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund study conducted in 2017, it is estimated that more than a third of the population suffers from some degree of periodontal diseases.
It is a very common disease and is due to poor dental hygiene among people.
If you have any dental emergency or have loose teeth, it is important to address the problem as soon as possible so do not hesitate to contact us on our WhatsApp to coordinate an assessment.