Teeth Falling Out Dream... What It Might Mean

Has this ever happened to you? You are eating and suddenly something in your mouth does not feel right. You continue chewing and then, much to your surprise, a tooth falls out. You run to the nearest mirror and are horrified by the toothless version staring back at you. Then you wake up.

If you have had the “teeth falling out” dream, you are not alone. It is a surprisingly common dream. In fact, the results of a 2012 study found that 39 percent of respondents said they had experienced the dream at least once in their lifetimes; 16.2 said the dreams were recurrent and 8.2 said they regularly had the dream.

But just because something is common doesn’t mean it is not scary – just the thought of losing your teeth can keep you up at night. So what does the dream mean? Because teeth dreams are so common and so traumatic, a number of experts have weighed in about its meaning over the years.

5 Meanings Behind Teeth Dreams

1. A Sign of Personal Growth

Teeth can symbolize growing up – you are born without teeth, get baby teeth, lose your baby teeth, and get your adult teeth. Teeth dreams could represent your transition from innocence to experience in a particular situation. The dreams may stop recurring as you finish the transition.

2. A Secret Wish to be Nurtured

Being a grownup is often confusing, difficult, and thankless. You have to make difficult decisions and work long hours; words of praise can be far and few between. Teeth dreams may indicate that you want to go back to an easier time, when your parents, family, and teachers went out of their way to encourage and care for you. The tooth dream might also mean that you are potentially facing a period of personal or professional growth.

3. You Need to Take Care of Yourself

Growing up is also hard. The stress of family responsibilities, jobs, bills, and maintaining a household can be incredibly difficult. Teeth dreams may symbolize your desire to go back to an easier time, when you were a cute little toothless baby and your parents took care of everything. Because everyday stresses never really go away, the teeth falling out dream may continue until you learn how to manage your stress.

4. Renewed Strength

Teeth are symbols of health, strength, and power; losing teeth creates an opportunity to grow a new tooth. The dream may represent gaining more control over a situation, environment, or person, for example. It might also symbolize a rise in your confidence level in a business venture or personal relationship. If so, you can expect the teeth falling out dream to make an occasional appearance as you rise through the ranks.

5. Rebirth

The symbolism of teeth falling out may represent the pain of starting something new, such as a job, home, relationship, or phase of personal growth. The legendary psychologist C.G. Jung said the dream symbolizes times of renewal and rebirth. If this is the underlying cause, you can expect the teeth falling out dreams to come and go as you encounter and overcome new challenges throughout your life.

Are Your Teeth Actually Falling Out?

You might be dreaming about losing your teeth because they are actually falling out. You may know that you haven’t taken the best care of your teeth and the dream is a subconscious warning that you will lose your teeth if you don’t change your ways. Or, maybe you have tooth problems that are causing you pain while you sleep. In either case, you may be able to stop the dreams by taking better care of your teeth.

If you are having dreams about your teeth falling out, come see our dental professionals. We will perform a full checkup to make sure your teeth are healthy and staying in place. If your teeth are not healthy, we will diagnose the cause and treat the problem to help you keep your teeth – in your dreams and in real life.