Have you ever had dreams where some or even all of your teeth fall out? You’re just walking along in your dream world, maybe fighting a monster or getting that hair cut you’ve been dreading, and all of a sudden, your teeth are just popping out of your gums like no one’s business. It doesn’t hurt, but it feels so real at the same time, and you can feel each individual tooth in your mouth as it falls out.
You are not alone.
What causes these dreams?
These dreams, or more often nightmares, hold a different meaning for each person and are usually the result of some stressor related to anxiety.
When you wake up from one of these dreams, feeling each one your teeth with your tongue to make sure they are still intact, ask yourself what could be causing you anxiety or stress. Oftentimes these dreams come during times of transition or big events in your life.
Did you just start school? Are you interviewing for a new job? Do you have finals soon? Are you moving to a new town?
Ask yourself questions that will help you determine what your stressor is, and you’ll have the likely cause of your dream. In most cases, the cause is not even related to your teeth. However, people who just got braces or have a big dental procedure coming up have been known to have these dreams as well – but those are related to stress too!
How can these dreams be prevented?
Really though, dreams about teeth falling out are no fun. And it would be great if we never had to have another one again. But how can you control that?
In all honesty, you probably can’t control your dreams – not until technology has advanced a little further. But what you can do is gain control over your feelings. You just determined the things that are stressing you out. Those are the likely causes of this dream. So, become aware of your feelings and do what you can to alleviate your stress.
Take a bubble bath before bed, repeat affirmative mantras, do whatever you do that helps you know that everything will be okay.
And if you ever experience your teeth falling out while you’re awake, realize it’s not a dream and get to the nearest dentist asap.