Loose front tooth

I’ve been undergoing gum disease treatments. I’ve got my gum disease under control. However, I have one problem. One of my front teeth is slightly loose and is a little longer than the others. Is there anything I can do to save this tooth?

Gerry B.- Oklahoma

Gerry,

Yes, this is called extrusion. There is a simple way to solve this. If your gum disease is under control and the adjacent teeth are healthy, your teeth can be splinted together. Unfortunately, it won’t be a good idea to push the tooth back up, but there are ways to re-shape the tooth to match the others.

Once your teeth are splinted together, you will need a special floss threader so you can clean between your teeth. You’ll have to be very diligent about it or your gum disease will re-occur and you’ll be in danger of losing all your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. David Newkirk.