How Long Does It Take For A Loose Tooth To Fall Out in Adults?

Worried About a Loose Tooth?

No one truly understands the anxiety and worry a loose or wobbly tooth in adulthood brings until it happens to them - and if it’s currently happening to you, let us first put your mind at ease.

You won’t have to live without a tooth

While it might feel like the worst thing ever - it’s not the end of the world- dentistry has a wide range of options available, varying in affordability to replace your tooth.In fact, opting for dental implants means we can replace the tooth root permanently, where you might never have to worry about replacing it ever again.

There might still be time to save it

But first, before we get to that point, just because your tooth is loose doesn’t always mean it will fall out.Getting to a dentist like us quickly, who has committed their career to restorative and prosthetic dentistry, means we can save it and tighten it back up before it’s too late.

We consider a loose tooth an emergency situation

Not all dentists consider a loose tooth an emergency, but we do - and we will see you urgently because we know that time is of the essence. If you want us to help, we’re in London and can likely see you today if you call us at 020 3583 9809.

What to do if you've already lost the tooth.

Carry on reading

But if you want to do more research first, that’s ok. Read on to learn the typical timelines, the causes, how we would stabilise the tooth, the symptoms and if your case is, in fact, urgent…

Specific timelines - how long it typically takes for a loose tooth to fall out naturally in adults

To give you a specific timeline on how long it will take for a loose tooth to fall out will hugely depend on why it’s falling out. So below, we’ve broken down the common causes and typical timelines for tooth loss in each case.

Losing a tooth due to gum disease:

• Typical timeline: 2-7 months to tooth loss. Studies have found that a tooth can take an average of 6.8 months to fall out independently.
• Why: Gum disease weakens the surrounding tissues and bone, and as pockets between teeth deepen, the tooth loses essential support, leading to the tooth falling out.
• Treatment: Recommendations are to seek urgent care to save the tooth.

Losing a tooth due to trauma:

• Typical timeline: A few days to a month
• Why: An impacted tooth by trauma can lose important supporting structures quickly.
• Treatment: We can stabilise the tooth if immediate dental care is provided (splinting).

Losing a tooth due to bite forces:

• Typical timeline: Weeks to a few months
• Why: Teeth impacted by consistent pressure like grinding or misaligned bites face constant pressure that can destabilise teeth.
• Treatment: Bite guards and orthodontic treatment can prevent damage.

Losing a tooth to severe tooth decay:

• Typical timeline: 1-3 months
• Why: Tooth decay destroys tooth structure and surrounding bone, leading to a loss of support. Additionally, infection and abscesses can accelerate this process.
• Treatment: Restorative treatment is possible, such as a root canal to save the tooth, but if it’s too late, extraction is also possible.

Symptoms to act on

• The tooth moves when touched or when eating
• The tooth exhibits excessive mobility (moving more than 0.2mm in any direction under force)
• The tooth is discoloured, turning grey or black
• There’s pain or discomfort around the tooth and gums
• The gums bleed when you brush and floss
• Swelling and inflammation in the gums surrounding the tooth
• Changes to your bite and how teeth fit together

How our dentists will fix a loose tooth

Our dentists will explore methods that stabilise and preserve the tooth; however, the treatment will ultimately depend on the cause. In some scenarios, we can use dental crowns and bonding to reinforce and protect the tooth.

Splinting can stabilise the tooth by bonding it to adjacent teeth using a splint made from resin.

Still, other treatments can be as simple as cleaning under the gum line to remove plaque and tartar and encourage gum reattachment to the tooth in gum disease cases.We can also assess whether bone grafting will be appropriate to add more bone to the areas of the jaw where density has depleted to strengthen the tooth's foundation.

Tooth replacement costs

Not all loose teeth can be tightened back up. If the worst comes to worst and we have to safely extract the tooth, or it’s fallen out, patients have three options to replace it.Here are the costs of each treatment:[ninja_tables id="19478"]

• Explore dental implants
• Explore dental bridges
• Explore dentures