Loose tooth sensation

[Anxiety Riddled]

So I have this odd sensation that my two bottom front teeth are loose but I don’t think they truly are… Long story short I have a decent amount of plaque build up and I’m terrified as of lately to brush my teeth due to pain and sensitivity I’m having from my wisdom teeth. I get some light soft build up between my two bottom front teeth and if I move it away from where my teeth are touching they start to feel weird (no pain or hot/cold sensitivity). My anxiety is making me think these teeth are loose. Does anyone else get this odd sensation? I feel like it’s literally just from me being so used to plaque that when there is none on my teeth they don’t feel right. If anyone else has ever experienced anything like this it would be comforting to know. I feel so alone and so pathetic with how anxious my teeth make me. I have always been petrified of the dentist and now I’m terrified to brush because I think my teeth are loose… Im on a downward spiral and one of the worst parts is feeling like it’s all in my head.

 

[night_natter]

Hi,
I recently felt that same feeling on my bottom front teeth after a dentist’s clean. Like there were big gaps between my teeth and one felt like it could have been loose. It settled down after about a week, but my tongue kept running over it to check.
I’ve continued to floss and brush ever since and it has felt fine, but I imagine that same feeling will occur after each clean from the dentist now.

 

[Anxiety Riddled]

@night_natter I’ve read a lot of stories online of people saying the same thing you just did. That after a deep cleaning their teeth felt loose for a bit. They say that is normal after a cleaning. The sad thing is I haven’t even been to the dentist and this has just occurred from me removing the tiniest piece myself.

 

[letsconnect]

It seems to be a pretty common sensation. Some movement of teeth is perfectly normal:

Is it normal for teeth to move slightly?

I was taking off my lipstick tonight and am sure I felt one of my lower front teeth move. Help! I had a checkup at the end of October, everything fine, and gum test scores were 0s and 1s. Would my dentist have noticed mobility as standard? I clench, and previously clenched an upper tooth to...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

A lot of people get freaked out by a slight movement of teeth and then try to brush "more gently" to avoid doing damage... but from what I've learnt over the years on these forums, things work quite differently!

Gum disease is the only condition (bar a very bad accident!) which can make teeth loose. So preventing gum disease or stopping it from getting any worse is the best way of avoiding genuinely loose teeth. Gum disease is usually a very slow process - we're talking decades rather than years.

The way to stop gum disease is by brushing twice a day (preferably with a rechargeable electric toothbrush, unless you're super dextrous), and by removing plaque from in between teeth once a day. For that, you'll need floss and/or those small interdental Tepe brushes or picks. The problem of course is that when you haven't had a professional cleaning in a long time, the tartar (i.e. hardened plaque) build-up can be in the way. So if you can muster up the courage for a cleaning to get this removed, things will be so much better and easier afterwards.

Anyway, it's not all in your head, people's teeth do move slightly (see the link above). But that's not at all the same as them being "loose" and about to come out. Maybe removing a chunk of tartar has made your teeth less artificially held together by tartar, allowing them to move more normally ?

 

[Anxiety Riddled]

@letsconnect I do believe that tartar build up does make me feel like my teeth are more secure. Plaque and tartar is so normal for me that it gives me comfort. I hate my inability to get over my dental fear but I know soon I will have to. My wisdom teeth on my right side seem to be coming in so fast and they are causing so much pressure. I’m so uncomfortable.

 

[night_natter]

@Anxiety Riddled I’ve actually read other posts in the past that are related to what you’re feeling. That feeling of security (maybe?) of having the tartar there as it feels like it’s keeping your teeth secure?

I hadn’t had a dentist clean since I was a teenager (over 20 years). I was a regular once-a-day brusher with periods of flossing (irregular over the last 10 years). I was surprised that loose feeling didn’t last longer, but I guess my gums readjusted and now my teeth just feel a lot cleaner and stronger.

I really hope you can get to your cleaning and maybe (if it’s not too daunting) let your dentist know that you’re feeling anxious about your teeth feeling loose. All the best!

 

[Anxiety Riddled]

@night_natter thank you for the response! I do believe the tartar buildup up does give me a sense of security and comfort being that I’m so used to it. I’ve been experiencing a lot of discomfort for the past few months from my wisdom teeth coming in. I haven’t eaten solid food for over 2 months now yet I’m still putting off the dentist. I don’t know what it’s going to take for me to finally break down and go. I’m absolutely miserable and my anxiety has skyrocketed. I too haven’t been to the dentist since I was a teen and I’m terrified to even call to make the appointment let alone go in to have a consultation. I’m hoping for right now to just skip the dentist and schedule something directly with an oral surgeon to get my wisdom teeth removed. I don’t know if they will do that but I’m hopeful.