Teeth mobile

[SallyUK]

Hi. I'm in the middle of various treatments and my anxiety and checking on my teeth is stupidly high right now. ?

I was doing well before my recent issues. Having my check ups and hygienist appointments regularly and trusting Id be told of any issues.

I have a fair amount of gum recession on my lower front teeth but my check up a month ago showed no gum disease, all number 1's.

The thing is I was obsessing over some staining behind my front teeth this morning and noticed movement! Over the last few years the recession has increased and I notice the slight overlaps more than I did. But I've never noticed movement! All three teeth can move a bit if I push them and I'm freaking out a bit. Hygienist and dentist haven't said anything. Do they check these things?

Seeing hygienist next week anyway but can't calm myself down about this and fearing I will loose these teeth. I've already lost a few molars and thought my front teeth were 'safe'.

I'd like to hear that I am worrying over a natural situation that doesn't need any treatment! I feel so out of control and as if I am facing years of things just deteriorating and not being prepared. I'm late 40's.

 

[MountainMama]

A little mobility is normal, as the teeth are held in with a ligament, which flexes. Mine all move a bit if pushed on. When my dentist tested my front tooth for mobility after my root canal, she said it was not mobile, even though I could move it if I pushed on it.

 

[SallyUK]

Thank you. I know that my anxiety is desperately trying to help me feel in control by worrying what might be going wrong, now and in future and seeking an irrational way to control it all!

It's so difficult as obviously I can do things to keep gums and teeth as healthy as possible which I am but reality is that I can't control the natural order of things. I can't get great teeth and gums to the extent I want ?

I hope this mobility is normal, I suspect it is if dentist never mentioned anything, but I guess I wonder if that's just because nothing can be done and one day I will be told they are too wobbly!

I guess I want to feel proactive and more in control than I actually do. I keep fearing the dentist doesn't tell me worse case because of my anxiety/phobia but in truth I think he just deals with what he sees as an issue which might not be the same as my list of issues!

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Personally I think even if someone a dentist I l knew told me mobility was completely normal and I had nothing to worry about, its still stressful and an odd feeling that makes me anxious. I haven't had this in a while but remember the feeling from previous. I think it is so normal to for us to want to feel more in control and know what is going on and that we can do something about it. Its the unknown,the unpredictable, the things we can't help that really create so much anxiety. You are for sure doing all you can on your end and doing amazing with all this !!

Also I imagine how hard it is to say "you might not be as top concerned with this, but it is really up there on my list"..

My last dentist would do one thing at a time and I wanted a whole plan, a list of what to do and what is most important and how and when to go about it, it drove me crazy he would not give me one, his thing I think was just to get me through each step and not have to worry about it all. REally, now he is doing something different and I have his friend as my new dentist and first thing he did was give me a detailed plan and very thorough exam . I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this.. it just gave me a peace and he was really nice about the fact we will take one step at a time as I can afford it and do it. He's not in a hurry but he gave me answers and a sense of control I really appreciate..

 

[SallyUK]

@krlovesherkids777 thank you, you seem to understand the emotional aspect very well and I appreacite that. I am not thinking about the teeth today, hooray. Trying very hard to compartmentalise worry. Taking the view that my dentist and hygienist see my mouth so often, that they would check, mention things when needed. I will ask when I’m next in, but tmy rarified of that too, can’t win, always expecting bad news. Hopefully that will ease again when I am not visiting every two weeks. Thanks again.

 

[Judythecat]

I am obsessed with my teeth being mobile. My dentist has reassured me numerous times that if she was at all concerned she would immediately refer me to the dental hospital, but that she is not, but I still worry constantly. Mine are moving slightly above normal physiology (my upper front teeth) but not close to being in one of the classifications of mobility. I suspect lots of people must have this sort of mobility and be completely unaware of it. I asked if mine would get worse, and she said the key factors were active gum disease, which I don’t and have never had, and bruxism, which I do. It is terrifying, and sometimes I spend hours looking at them, poking them with my tongue. I feel quite mad, but try to remember that my dentist is actually generally over-cautious about referrals if she has any concerns.

 

[SallyUK]

I am obsessed with my teeth being mobile. My dentist has reassured me numerous times that if she was at all concerned she would immediately refer me to the dental hospital, but that she is not, but I still worry constantly. Mine are moving slightly above normal physiology (my upper front teeth) but not close to being in one of the classifications of mobility. I suspect lots of people must have this sort of mobility and be completely unaware of it. I asked if mine would get worse, and she said the key factors were active gum disease, which I don’t and have never had, and bruxism, which I do. It is terrifying, and sometimes I spend hours looking at them, poking them with my tongue. I feel quite mad, but try to remember that my dentist is actually generally over-cautious about referrals if she has any concerns.

I never knew it was 'normal'. I don't have gum disease but I do have recession. I'm really going to try and ignore this because if I start worrying it's a slippery slope. Particularly as I can't really prevent anything other than what I already do. Yes, the bruxism ? I don't think I bash the bottom teeth, tends to be a clench on one side back teeth. But who knows. It was scary looking at them move, just slightly. They seemed to do it less by evening? Again, I hope they check this as a matter of course at the surgery check ups and I stop worrying permanently soon. Do not like this worry mode I'm in.

 

[Scared all the time]

I never knew it was 'normal'. I don't have gum disease but I do have recession. I'm really going to try and ignore this because if I start worrying it's a slippery slope. Particularly as I can't really prevent anything other than what I already do. Yes, the bruxism ? I don't think I bash the bottom teeth, tends to be a clench on one side back teeth. But who knows. It was scary looking at them move, just slightly. They seemed to do it less by evening? Again, I hope they check this as a matter of course at the surgery check ups and I stop worrying permanently soon. Do not like this worry mode I'm in.

I hear that about the worrying mode! It’s horrible! But I’ve read and heard the same...your teeth are suppose to move slightly. We can only do the best we can for prevention of things. Try not to worry ?

 

[Judythecat]

If they were fused in bone they would snap off when you bit, so some movement is totally normal. I was clenching mine into my mouthguard, which is what caused the mobility. Mine was initially bordering on grade one classification, but is now far closer to normal movement after switching to a different type of guard. I get my dentist to check mine any time I am in. I think in a standard checkup it would only be picked up alongside gum disease, which is why I wonder how many people have it without realising.

 

[Scared all the time]

If they were fused in bone they would snap off when you bit, so some movement is totally normal. I was clenching mine into my mouthguard, which is what caused the mobility. Mine was initially bordering on grade one classification, but is now far closer to normal movement after switching to a different type of guard. I get my dentist to check mine any time I am in. I think in a standard checkup it would only be picked up alongside gum disease, which is why I wonder how many people have it without realising.

Exactly what Judy said! ? they need to be able to move slightly

 

[SallyUK]

If they were fused in bone they would snap off when you bit, so some movement is totally normal. I was clenching mine into my mouthguard, which is what caused the mobility. Mine was initially bordering on grade one classification, but is now far closer to normal movement after switching to a different type of guard. I get my dentist to check mine any time I am in. I think in a standard checkup it would only be picked up alongside gum disease, which is why I wonder how many people have it without realising.

Ah ha of course they need to move slightly. Do you know what it means or what happens if the mobility is 'too' much?

I'm guessing it could be a changing thing, like gum health. Goes up and down. If you don't grind, they tighten etc or if your gum pockets get bigger it might effect the attachment of the tooth? Logically, now I'm thinking about it, even with gum recession, the I would have gum pockets or issues there before they actually fell out or moved more! I don't have any pockets, the teeth just seem longer and gums lower, it's probably happened over the years and I've not noticed particularly. Maybe the movement is more perceptible. I can see how it could drive you crazy thinking about all this ? Least I'm not as freaked out as I was yesterday, thinking they were all about to fall out or near to doing so for some reason ?‍

 

[Judythecat]

There are apparently three grades of tooth mobility - my dentist said grade one is that the tooth is moving about a millimetre above normal physiology, and grade three is properly significant movement, but by that point you have probably got huge gum pockets and loss of bone. I think you would know it if you were at that stage!

 

[Fearofthedentist]

I’m so glad I found this. Just over a year later than posted but better that than never to calm my mind. I too am having the same with teeth mobility. My front 2 top teeth all move slightly and when I discovered (after have my bottom braces off) and looking at my teeth for the first time with no braces I noticed they moved when I put my finger on them and push with my bottom teeth or use my fingers to moved. I was so terrified at first thinking they were lose and going to fall out. To me it looks like a lot of movement but the anxiety is playing more into than the actual issue I think. My boyfriend has said they they’re okay and won’t fall out as well as they bring a slight bit of movement but he wasn’t worried and reading up on it a lot has reassured me as I’m not the only one in this boat. It still freaks me out thinking about it now as I’ve never noticed it before is it normal for this at all? A little reassurance on this goes a long way for me ? Thank you for sharing your experiences!!