Having a loose adult tooth can be an unsettling sensation. While the cause needs to be evaluated by your dentist near you, you’ll want to minimize irritation to the affected tooth. Being careful about what you eat can prevent further damage. Read below to learn what foods to avoid when you have a loose tooth.
What Causes Loose Teeth in Adults?
Before getting into dietary precautions for loose teeth, it helps to understand what allows teeth to feel loose in the first place. Common causes include:
• Gum disease erodes tissue and bone
• Cracks or fractures weakening the tooth and root
• Excessive grinding puts pressure on teeth
• An injury knocking a tooth out of place
If a tooth suddenly feels loose, avoiding chewing with it until your dentist can evaluate you is important. This helps prevent total displacement or fracture, possibly making saving the tooth more difficult.
Which Foods Should Be Avoided?
Certain foods require considerable biting force, apply pressure on compromised teeth, or get trapped easily in cracks. Until your loose tooth is reinforced, stabilized, or extracted, avoid the following:
Hard, Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Apples, carrots, and celery are raw veggies that could traumatize a loose tooth. Even with thorough chewing, hard bits can still require force from front teeth or get lodged in tooth defects. Play it safe by cooking vegetables first to soften them.
Tough Meats
Red meats, chicken wings, spare ribs, and other tough-textured proteins could also strain in a compromised tooth with aggressive biting and tearing motions. Stick to softer stews, ground meats, and steaming hot meals during the transition period.
Hard Baked Goods
Avoid all crunchy, brittle, or hard bread and baked goods that require pressure from teeth. For now, things like croutons, nuts, seeds, toast, and hard granola bars should be crossed off the list. Enjoy mashed potatoes or soft rolls instead.
Sticky, Chewy Foods
Gummy candies, caramel, dried fruits, and chewy granola clusters can adhere to teeth surfaces, putting tension on unstable ones when you try to dislodge bits stuck in crevices. Say no to sticky and chewy eats.
Ice or Frozen Treats
Popsicles, slushies, frozen yogurt, and ice chips seem refreshing but cause pain and potential damage when teeth shift with biting force or cold sensitivity. Allow any heat-sensitive teeth time to heal before consuming frozen foods again.
What Should I Eat Instead?
Providing your injured tooth with adequate rest, you’ll still enjoy plentiful, nutritious options, including:
• Scrambled eggs
• Mashed potatoes
• Well-cooked pasta
• Ripe banana
• Creamy soup
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt
When to See an Emergency Dentist?
While taking measures to stabilize your tooth, it’s important to have your loose tooth evaluated promptly by your dentist. Seek emergency dental care right away if you experience:
• Sudden trauma causing displacement
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Severe tooth pain
• The tooth fell out completely
• Visible tooth fracture
Seeking timely treatment gives you the best chance of saving an injured tooth. Our exceptional dentist in West San Jose provides urgent dental care whenever you need it. We’ll diagnose what’s causing tooth instability and restore proper alignment, retention, and function.
Protect Loose Teeth Until They Can Be Secured
Having a concerning sensation of tooth looseness can be alarming but doesn’t necessarily mean tooth loss is imminent. With some care when eating and prompt dental treatment, many loose teeth can be rescued and stabilized. For exceptional care from an emergency dentist near you in the West San Jose area, contact our office anytime to schedule an urgent visit. We’re here to help!