HELP!! Need advice for dealing with my loose tooth (temporarily)

[martin0642]

Hi all - my first post here....

Ok - so a quick background; I have quite severe problems with some of my teeth as a result of....er....well years of not looking after them properly and smoking - so basically all my fault really.

I am seeing a dentist - private...very expensive (but beats NHS nightmares)..but very good.

Ok - so on to my problem.... I have two very loose teeth (the two right in the front/middle on the lower jaw). As a result i'm having 4 teeth extracted and a bridge to the two lower canines which are "fine" (the gums may disagree with this...). All well and good..ish...

I have my first appointment for the work on the 1st Oct which will be the prep work on teh canines and the extractions. Two weeks later I get a temporary bridge and then 3-6 months later (depending more on money than the healing process) I get the permanent bridge.

However....and this is my reasons for posting here...one of those loose teeth is now VERY loose. As in..it kind of swings out the back of the gum on occasion and I suspect is held in more by luck and being pinched in by other teeth than anything else. Certainly isn't attached to the jaw by the feel of it! Needless to say this makes biting virtually impossible, certainly not with the front middle portion of my mouth and perhaps more importantly....I now have just over 3 weeks until the tooth is extracted anyway and I have to try and keep it in place!

This is, of course, made harder by the fact that its right in the firing line for my tongue when I talk. Hmmmm!!!!


So....my question is this; how do I stabilise this tooth for the next 3 weeks? I'm ok not being able to bite down on it (because i'm now used to that) but if it falls out I would need an emergency appointment with my dentist....who is a 45 minute drive away at best (and in the case of my particular dentist...on holiday for nearly 2 weeks from tomorrow).

I considered getting the Dentanurse kit and perhaps cementing it? I have doubts as to how well that would work though as the cement appears to be for replacing loose bits that are impacted from above/below rather than the sides as this tooth is.

Failing that.....what do I do? Stick it in with chewing gum or superglue? (joke!)

Any answers would be MUCH appreciated!!

 

[Gordon]

The only temporary fix is to splint the tooth to a firmer one, on one side or another. The trouble is, the only way to get that done is to see a dentist. Sorry.

 

[nosmokin2]

My upper front teeth were all loose for about a year. Yes, it did affect my eating and talking until I finally had them removed (after one of them fell out on their own!). I don't know of anyway to stabelize a tooth without a dentist's help.

nosmokin2

 

[Scott]

Greetings Martin,

Have you contacted either a NHS dentist or your private dentist and explained your situation? One or the other may be able to set you up with a quick temporary solution based upon dental cement and something akin to a brace. If you've not already done so you should contact a dentist and explain what you've shared here and see what they suggest.

The only other thing that comes to mind as a possibility is something that folks who suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding) and/or boxers use and that's a transparent bite guard. They do come in two piece configurations (as opposed to the traditional one piece) that would allow you to speak while wearing it. You'd have to do a bit of searching to find a slender one that would look half way decent though.

Hope that helps.

,\´ Scott

 

[some guy]

I don't know how sturdy your gums are but if they fall out the dentist usually tells you to put it in milk for a few minutes and them simply jam them back in (sounds kinda crude but apparently it works). I dont know if you tried simply pushing them into your gums to make them more secure for now, but you should defientally call your dentist ASAP.

One other thing if the nerve for the tooth breaks the tooth will eventually die and turn black.

 

[scottworry]

Guys,

I just had a temporary tooth splinted. I having chronic gum disease and severe bone loss. I quitted smoking. Trying to control ny diabetics. Anyone shared similar experience in tooth splinting?seems will loosen over sometime as i experiencing.

 

[ggazzara71]

Hello. I've just joined this forum. My tooth is very very loose. I cannot chew on one side of my mouth. I have an extreme fear of dentists. I have gone in the past when there has been no other choice. I'm a smoker. However I've always taken pretty good care of my teetg. This tooth originally had cavity in it. Had filling put in. That was when I was 11. I am 46 now. Im so scared of the condition of my teeth now. The thought of losing a tooth and having nothing there??? Is rather due first. Please help direct me and tell me what I should do. I'm in sales. How will I ever keep my job with no tooth and people looking at me???

 

[Sevena]

The only way to get it treated is to go to the dentist. There may be options available to you. If the tooth needs removed, they may be able to make a bridge to fill the gap. It's better to go now, to see if the tooth can be stabilised, rather than waiting for things to get worse. I know the dentist is scary, but if you're worried about the appearance side of things, the sooner you go, the sooner you will have a treatment plan and ways to keep your smile the way you want it.