Loose Teeth & Bite Problems
Stabilising teeth, and the bite behind them
Periodontal disease doesn’t just affect the gums — it wears away the bone and ligament that hold teeth in place, and a tooth with less support underneath it starts to move.
Treatment addresses both sides of the problem: stabilising teeth that have become loose, and treating the underlying gum disease that caused the bone loss in the first place, so the same forces don’t just loosen them again.
Signs your bite has changed
These changes tend to happen gradually, so they’re easy to attribute to something else — a filling, getting older, just how your mouth feels lately.
- A tooth feels loose or has noticeably shifted position
- Your bite feels different than it used to when your teeth come together
- Gaps have opened up between teeth that used to sit close together
- Jaw discomfort or clicking that’s become more frequent
Two parts of the same treatment plan
Stabilising a tooth without treating the cause is only a temporary fix.
Loose teeth can be splinted — joined to neighbouring teeth — to steady them while the underlying disease is brought under control.
Scaling and root planing, and periodontal surgery where needed, treats the disease that loosened the tooth to begin with — the part that actually protects your bite going forward.
Frequently asked questions
Can a loose tooth be saved?
Often, yes — splinting can stabilise a loose tooth while the underlying gum disease is treated, though how much can be saved depends on how much bone support remains.
What causes teeth to feel loose?
Most often it’s periodontal disease wearing away the bone and ligament that hold a tooth in place, though a change in bite can also be a factor.
Is a change in my bite something to worry about?
It can be an early sign that a tooth has lost support — worth having checked before it progresses.
What happens if a loose tooth can’t be saved?
If a tooth can’t be stabilised, extraction followed by a dental implant is often the best path to restoring your bite.
Noticed a tooth feels loose?
Ask your dentist for a referral — the sooner we see it, the more options there usually are, from stabilising the tooth to replacing it if that ends up being the better path.
