Mobile Tooth Or A Dancing Tooth

         Mobile Tooth Or A Dancing Tooth 

                                                                                                     By: - Dr. ANKIT YADAV

I remember that when I was in my early childhood age. My milk teeth were starting to be replaced, by permanent teeth. When the milk tooth was replaced by the permanent then a stage occurs, in which my tooth starts to loosen or it is mobile in their socket. I felt like my tooth was dancing in its socket. My tongue plays a major role and acts as an instructor to my puppet tooth. My tooth moves both vertical as well as in horizontal direction after a certain stage and finally, it was pop up. This is a normal cycle from the milk tooth to the permanent tooth. Some of us face the same situation with their permanent in their adult stage. My dear friend, there is no more tooth erupt after the permanent one. If they fall then you move for the prosthesis. Life without a tooth is like no taste in food. What are the reasons behind mobile tooth? Is there any way to avoid mobile tooth loss from our oral cavity? These are few questions in our mind.

Causes of mobile tooth: -

• Physiological
• Pathological

Physiological movement: -

               When we wake up in the morning and touch our teeth, then we feel they are slightly moving but less than 1 mm this is called physiological tooth movement. There is no sign of any disease or trauma in the teeth region and it disappears after a few hours.

Pathological movement: -

               The mobile tooth is associated with some oral disease, trauma, cyst, prosthesis related, etc. In that case, the mobile teeth are a threat to us, because it increases with time and finally pops up if not treated on time. Here we need special care to stop that in the early stage because with transition in upper grade the prognosis moves from good to poor category of the tooth. If the mobility of the tooth is more than 1 mm then an alarm of poor prognosis and tooth loss begins.

Factors affecting tooth mobility: -

• Loss of tooth support-

               The tooth is enveloped by bone and gingival tissue. The size and shape of the tooth also play a major role in the mobility of the tooth. When the bone starts to resorb due to old age, or a low level of calcium in the body and the tooth gets space for mobility due to occluding force act on it. A tooth with short, tapered roots is more likely to loosen than one with normal size or bulbous roots with the same amount of bone loss.

• Trauma -

               Trauma from occlusion occurs when the injury is produced by excessive force because of abnormal habits such as bruxism and clenching. It occurs initially as a result of resorption of the cortical layer of bone, leading to reduce fiber supports and resulting in a widened periodontal space. Trauma in a sports injury or accident cases can also lead to mobility of the tooth.

Gum disease and periodontal disease-

               When the gingival infection occurs in the oral cavity, then it leads to bleeding from gums and swelling of the gingiva. The periodontal pocket formation also occurs in the involved tooth region. Food lodgement and gingival recession will be the future consequences if, it is not treated on time, and later on the mobility of tooth occur.

Faulty prosthesis: -

               It is also one of the major factors for the mobility of the tooth. A loose prosthesis or faulty prosthesis can apply more force on the adjacent and opposite tooth. This unwanted and irregular force can lead to mobility of the adjacent tooth.

Pregnancy: -

               In pregnancy sometimes mobility is increased due to changes in the menstrual cycle or the use of hormonal contraceptives. It is not related to periodontal disease but occurs due to physicochemical changes in the periodontal tissues.

Intraoral pathology: -

               Many a time the cause of tooth mobility is remained silent down to the teeth in the form of cysts, tumors, and osteomyelitis. When they are actively growing inside the jaw, then they destroy the alveolar bone and engulf the teeth, this leads to the mobility of the tooth.

Professional advice: -

• Nothing can replace a natural tooth efficiency and job so, care it
• In trauma cases, if the mobility is in the early stage, we can use splinting of the mobile tooth with the adjacent to reduce the damage.
• The faulty prosthesis is replaced as soon as possible to save the adjacent tooth.
• In pregnancy maintenance of oral hygiene and regular check-up reduce the chances of mobility of teeth and gums disease.
• In periodontitis and gingivitis cases oral prophylaxis at regular intervals reduces the severity of the disease.
  
• Regular check-up helps us to detect the pathology and treat it at an early stage.
  
• Regular brushing, flossing and interdental brush (visit oral hygiene aids for more information) help us to overcome this problem.
  
• Visit your dentist at least 1-2 times a year.