Loose Tooth: Causes in Children and Adults, and When It Is Urgent

Milk teeth loosen when the permanent tooth beneath pushes up and the root of the milk tooth dissolves. Most children start losing front teeth at about six, and the process runs until around twelve. A wobbly tooth with no pain, in a child of this age, is normal. Let it fall out by itself. Encourage gentle wiggling with a clean tongue or fingers, but do not pull a tooth that is only slightly loose. You can read the usual order in our guide on milk teeth falling age.

A milk tooth that is loose in a younger child, or after a knock, is different. Injury can loosen a tooth without it being ready to fall, so a dentist should check. A loose tooth with pain, a swollen gum or pus can be an infection under the milk tooth and needs a dentist.

Permanent teeth should be firm for life. A tooth that starts to move is a sign that something has damaged what holds it. The common causes are below.

Often yes, if the cause is treated early. A tooth loosened by a minor injury may settle in a few weeks if it is left alone and not bitten on, and sometimes needs a splint to hold it still while it heals. A tooth loosened by gum disease may firm up after the gums are cleaned and the infection is controlled, although bone already lost does not grow back on its own. See our guides on stages of gum disease and pyorrhea to see how it develops.

While you wait for your appointment, keep the area clean with gentle brushing, avoid biting hard foods on that tooth and do not push it with your tongue or fingers. Smoking and chewing tobacco or gutka make gum disease worse and slow healing.

See a dentist the same day or the next day if an adult tooth is loose after a knock, if the tooth has moved out of position, or if there is pain, pus or a swollen gum. A tooth that is completely knocked out needs help within the hour, as described in our guide on an avulsed tooth.

Spreading facial swelling, fever, or difficulty swallowing or breathing needs same-day care, and a hospital emergency if breathing or swallowing is affected. A loose tooth with no pain should still be seen within a week or two, because gum disease is often painless until late. The gum treatment page describes what is usually involved.