Mobility of teeth is caused by disease or injury to the
gum and the bone which supports the teeth.



CAUSES

1. Infection: when there is accumulation of food debris
and bacteria on the tooth. There is inflammation of gingival.
Infection is the main cause of inflammation. Inflammation
from the gingiva spread to the fibrous tissue between the
teeth and bone and finally it hits the bone. Inflammation
and destruction of bone affects the foundation on which
the teeth stands causing tooth mobility.

2. Increased amount and uneven forces during chewing when
transmitted to the teeth, causes tooth mobility.

3. A tumor of the bone, which causes destruction to the
bony architecture, results in tooth mobility. 

4. Blunt
injury to the tooth structure can also cause looseness of
teeth.



SYMPTOMS

1. Patient complains of discomfort while chewing of food.


2. Pain may accompany the mobility of teeth

3. The tissues around a mobile tooth are invariable red,
swollen and damaged.



DIAGNOSIS

Certain amount of tooth movement is always present. This
movement is felt when the teeth are clenched. 

Mild moderate movement of teeth is
usually diagnosed by manually pushing the tooth in
question on either side with the help of probing
instruments. Fingers are never a reliable source for the
diagnosis for such movements. 

TREATMENT

Cleaning the mobile tooth of all bacterial sources may reduce
mobility to a certain extent.

 - Teeth which are mobile by just a millimeter
are so can be  splinted to the adjacent teeth.

 - Teeth which
are loose and which move in all direction may   have to be
extracted.



MORE INFORMATION

Splinting is usually done using a thin steel wire, here
the mobile teeth is bond to the adjacent stable teeth in a specific pattern, so as to
attain maximum stabilization of the loose tooth. This procedure
might be slightly pain full. New methods have been devised
to completely eliminate pain.



FAQ 

What level of teeth mobility can
be stabilized? 

Mobility of 1mm can be treated successfully, but anything
beyond this level reduces the chances of success. Also teeth
loosened due to trauma have a better chance of success than
teeth loosened due to infection. 

 

Is splinting painful? 


This
procedure is normally done under local anesthesia; hence
pain will not be a problem.