Having your teeth drop out isn’t something most people want to think about. After all, it sounds horrifying. However, it’s something that can happen if you don’t pay enough attention to your oral health. In this post, let’s take a look at the top signs that your tooth might fall out soon, and what, if anything, you can do about it.
1. Bad breath and teeth dropping out
Most people have occasional bad breath. It might happen if you’ve eaten something with a lot of sugar or have a temporary infection.
However, if your bad breath goes on for months at a time, it could be a sign of a deeper problem. Tooth infections that don’t go away by themselves usually have some sort of chronic problem at their root, quite literally.
If you have bad breath, go to your dentist as soon as possible. They can provide you with treatments that eliminate the problem, including antibiotics.
2. Bleeding gums
Bleeding gums is another common sign of impending tooth loss. Unless you have a cut in your mouth, it is typically the result of gingivitis, inflammation, and infection of the surface level of the gum.
Usually, this type of gum disease is harmless and easy to fix with proper oral hygiene and a better diet. However, if left untreated, it can develop into periodontitis, which is a much more serious infection that develops around the base of the tooth.
Over time, bacteria break down the enamel and surrounding bone. That process causes the tooth to eventually fall out.
Clinics, like the Shelby Dental Center, deal with periodontitis in several ways. If you have an active infection, the professionals will usually prescribe you a couple of different types of antibiotics to get rid of it.
The dental pro will then peer in your mouth to see whether you have any pockets beside the tooth that could harbor infection. If you do, then they may offer treatment to help you close them up.
3. Loose teeth dropping out
Loose teeth, as you might expect, are another common sign of tooth loss. If you notice this problem, call your dentist as soon as possible.
There may still be time to save the tooth, so long as they can get to the source of the problem. Tooth sensitivity, which is next on the list, is one of the most common dental problems.
4. Sensitivity
If you experience pain or sensitivity while eating, it might indicate a tooth decay issue. When you have exposed roots, cracked teeth, or a cavity, it can make eating pretty much anything extremely uncomfortable.
The discomfort happens because the heat (or lack thereof) of the food changes the temperature of your teeth. That causes the pain receptors to light up.
If this scenario sounds familiar, inspect the tooth in question for any cavities or cracks. If you see any, try to get to a dentist as soon as possible for the appropriate treatment. In some instances, it is possible to actually fix the damage without the need for a filling, but it all depends on your situation.
Remember, tooth loss isn’t always inevitable. There are steps that you can take today to prevent it from happening.