Knowing how to spot the signs of impending tooth loss is extremely valuable, allowing you to book a dentist appointment that might just save that tooth.

Lower the risk of tooth loss by never skipping your dentist and hygienist visits. In the meantime though, learn to spot when your mouth is telling you that it needs some urgent TLC.

Top Signs That You Are About To Lose A Tooth

Your tooth has suddenly changed shade

When the living tissues inside a tooth become infected, the tooth begins to die. A symptom of this is darkening, as the blood supply to the tooth gets cut off, causing the tooth to appear grey or black.

If you’ve recently suffered dental trauma like a blow to the face, or you’ve noticed intense sensitivity combined with a bad taste in your mouth, it’s time to see a dentist.

In this scenario, the quicker you see a dentist, the better chance your tooth has of responding well to root canal treatment. Even a couple of days could be the difference between recovering the tooth with a root canal, and tooth removal.

A loose or shifting tooth 

When you were a kid, sustaining a loose tooth is about as exciting as it gets, as the tooth fairy would be poised to bring you some financial reward for losing a tooth. It’s not so much fun when you’re an adult.

If you’ve noticed even the slightest movement with a tooth, see your dentist immediately. If gum disease is the cause, there is some possibility of saving it with a deep clean procedure called scaling and root planing.

Don’t rely on the tooth getting better on its own - teeth can’t regenerate like certain organs in the body can. So, seeing a dentist is paramount if you want to give it every chance of survival.

Your teeth look severely worn

Wear and tear of teeth can be hard to spot, as often, it comes on gradually as a result of tooth grinding. If your teeth look as if they’ve become shorter, they risk sustaining fractures and cavities much more easily, which could be the catalyst for a deep crack and infection within the tooth.

Dental pain

The busy pace of life in 2024 can make it tempting to ignore the odd bit of dental pain here and there. If you have noticed dental pain that comes around every couple of weeks and doesn’t seem to be improving, you might be suffering from decay, gum disease, or a crack on top of the tooth.

These are issues that have the potential to cause a tooth to fail, and warrant investigation right away.

Your teeth look’ longer’

If your teeth appear as if they’ve grown in length, it’s not your eyes playing tricks on you. This can occur when you’ve brushed your teeth vigorously and eroded gum tissue, or if gum disease has started to eat away at your gum tissue.

Whether your gum tissue has worn away due to overenthusiastic brushing or gum disease, it is a problem for your teeth. The structure underneath your gum tissue is not protected by enamel. Once it becomes exposed, the affected teeth can sustain cavities much more readily. Ignoring signs of gum recession can eventually cause tooth loss.

If you’re struggling to brush gently, an electric toothbrush with an oscillating head can gently clean your tooth surfaces without eating away at your gum tissue. Sonic toothbrushes such as the Ordo Electric Toothbrushes create 35,000 sonic pulses per minute, saving your hand from doing the hard work and producing a deep clean that efficiently removes plaque.

Tooth loss isn’t inevitable – prevention is key

You only get two sets of natural teeth in life, so it’s worth doing everything you can to protect them by:

• Attending dentist and hygienist visits.

• Brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day.

• Avoiding sugary and acidic food and drink.

• Protecting your teeth during contact sports.

• Seeing a dentist right away if something doesn’t feel right.