Mobile Teeth
Cause
Resorption of root
There is a “succeeding permanent tooth” underneath the root of every deciduous tooth.
When the permanent tooth erupts, the root of the deciduous tooth will resorb and
the tooth will become loose and will eventually fall off. This natural phenomenon
occurs between the age of six and thirteen.
Receding dental alveolar bone
When a person is suffering from severe periodontal disease, the dental alveolar
bone will recede and the teeth will lose support and become loose.
Inflammation of periodontal tissues around teeth
When dental caries or periodontal disease causes inflammation of the periodontal
tissue, or cause an abscess, the teeth will become loose.
Traumatic injury to teeth
After traumatic injury to a tooth, the tooth supporting tissues may be damaged and
the tooth involved will become loose.
Management
• There is no need to worry if a deciduous tooth becomes loose because of tooth
transition. You can let the deciduous tooth naturally exfoliate and there is no
need to extract it. Even though the tooth is loose, you must still pay attention
to oral hygiene around it.
• If teeth are mobile because of periodontal disease, you should go to a dentist
as soon as possible and seek proper treatment to prevent the situation from worsening.
• You should see a dentist when there is inflammation in the periodontal tissues
and seek proper treatment to completely cure the inflammation. According to the
situation, treatments such as root planing or endodontic(root canal) treatment can be done to keep the inflammation
from spreading to adjacent periodontal tissues.
• You should go to a dentist as soon as possible to have your teeth checked
if a tooth becomes mobile after a traumatic injury.