Dental Conditions
Loose or failing teeth
A loose permanent tooth will not improve on its own. Without treatment it will continue to loosen until it is lost — and what can still be saved depends heavily on how soon it is assessed.
What causes it
Advanced Gum Disease
Periodontitis is the most common cause. As the infection destroys the bone supporting the tooth, the tooth loses its anchorage and begins to move.
Trauma
A blow to the mouth damages the periodontal ligament and sometimes the surrounding bone. Prompt splinting can allow re-attachment where the damage is not severe.
Teeth Grinding
Sustained excessive force breaks down the bone and ligament around a tooth over time, even where gum health is otherwise good.
Advanced Decay
Where decay has destroyed enough tooth structure, the remaining tooth becomes unstable regardless of the health of its foundation.
Why speed matters here
Bone lost to periodontal disease does not regenerate spontaneously. Every month a loose tooth continues untreated is more support lost — not just for that tooth, but often for its neighbours.
There is also a replacement consideration. A tooth removed while there is still reasonable bone around it leaves a site suitable for an implant. A tooth left until it falls out often leaves a site that needs grafting first.
What treatment involves
The first step is establishing why the tooth is loose, which requires periodontal probing and radiographs rather than an opinion from looking.
Where periodontal disease is the cause and enough support remains, treating the disease and splinting the tooth can stabilise it. Where the tooth is beyond saving, we plan the extraction and its replacement together, usually with socket preservation at the time of removal.
Concerned about your symptoms?
Book an assessment now rather than waiting. Call (905) 479-7777.