Shifting teeth or loose teeth can lead to a dental emergency?

Are your teeth shifting? We know no one likes that feeling, at least not with teeth. As you age your body goes through a lot of changes. Our gums, our bones, jaws and also our teeth. We are not immune to such changes and the best way is to be informed of such changes and adapt to them. Regardless if you’ve had any orthodontic treatment recently or grabbed a fixed retainer, or stopped wearing a retainer, your teeth can shift. Well, the good news is not all kinds of shifting teeth call for an emergency dentist Etobicoke. In this neighbourhood around her in Ontario which is pretty close to Toronto downtown find a dentist is pretty easy. And this clinic on Islington Ave in Etobicoke is very easily approachable and affordable.

Do our teeth shift as we age?

The way the body works, our teeth are embedded into the tissue. And tissues are always growing or dying, hence never static. The teeth because of being housed in tissues are always moving back and forth. As we age, our teeth have a tendency, especially on the bottom jaw to bend forward and cause overlapping or crowding. This may look like a cosmetic problem but it also leads to functional problems like difficulty speaking & eating evening breathing issues. And also can cause the accumulation of bacteria and plaque.

But what causes this shifting in the mouth? One of the reasons is as we age the structure that holds them in place transforms. Bones, muscles etc become weak, the density of bone decrease and years of usage also starts to show signs.

The ligaments that act as an anchor between our teeth and jawbone becomes weak and would no longer hold teeth in place. Another factor that weakens as we age is our gums, they recede. Brushing too hard or poor oral care can make gum recession worse in older age. The last factor is general wear and tear that is very normal in old age.

The shifting of teeth in younger people because of carelessness and not using proper retainers hardly ever leads to an emergency issue. But in older age, some situations can lead to an emergency if left unattended for long. Some such issues;

• Ingesting a loose tooth
• Fracturing jawbone
• Gum infection leading to an abscess
• Injury or gum damage due to hard brushing
• Injuries due to dentures
• Malnutrition due to difficulty in eating
• The collapse of the nasal cavity

There can be many more such issues that can lead to an emergency. But timely treatment can prevent most of them without any surgery or medical intervention.

Some treatment options include: 

• Braces
• Invisalign
• Denture
• Implant
• Retainers

The first step to correcting the shifting is to consult an orthodontist here in Etobicoke. An orthodontist is a practitioner who is qualified to attend to shifting teeth problems. The problem of shifting teeth may not be always severe or an emergency issue. In most cases, minor correction or minor treatment may fix the problem. In some cases, one may not even require treatment and some saltwater gargles may do the trick. But what is important is professional advice from experts. In older age, the body’s immunity to fight minor infections is depleted and a minor injury or infection may convert into a major health hazard. The older people facing such issues need to be more conscious and keep a close watch on their health issues. Shifting teeth are also a cosmetic concern for people into work or business where appearance matters. What seems like a negligible issue today may become a major flaw tomorrow unless you attend to it with a professional approach.