Dentist Questions Dentist

Is it bad to leave a loose tooth in your mouth?

I am a 38 year old female. I want to know if it is bad to leave a loose tooth in your mouth?

9 Answers

Permanent loose tooth that is causing periodontal problems should be removed.
Yes, the tooth is loose because of bone loss. Leaving a loose tooth in the mouth may make you lose more bone and affect the adjacent teeth
Having a "loose' tooth in your mouth may have different causes. For example, trauma/accident leading to partially or fully broken/fractured tooth, hence a loose tooth or piece of tooth; or in other cases, a loose tooth can be due to long-term gum diseases (chronic periodontitis), which can worsen if you leave the tooth in your mouth as in losing more bone and making it much harder in future to place a dental implant in the area.
In both cases, it is recommended to visit a licensed dental professional to diagnosis and provide treatment to the problem of loose tooth.
If the tooth is loose because you have periodontal disease, it is bad to leave it in and the tooth have to be removed. If tooth is loose due to trauma- it sometime can be left in place. All depends on why the tooth is loose. Only a dental professional can correctly evaluate the condition of the tooth and advise the correct treatment.
Most of the time a loose tooth indicates a an infection is going on. This infection can be in the gums or from the tooth itself. In this case the infection needs to be addressed so it does not get worse. It can also be from too much force on the tooth. This needs to be taken care of as well. So, you should have it looked at to see the cause, and to see if there is a way to stabilize the tooth
Loose teeth can impede chewing efficiency. Go see your dentist and get a diagnosis of why it is loose.

Yes, it is a choking hazard.
Yes, it is not good to keep a loose tooth untreated. More often, it is due to infection and could spread to other teeth.
Why is the tooth loose? If it's because of periodontal disease, then you may want to see a specialist to treat the infection. Periodontal disease is a systemic condition that can lead to other medical conditions including stroke and cardiovascular disease and can negatively impact diabetes.