Dreams about teeth falling out are one of the most common dream themes which crop up, albeit an unpleasant one. Interpreting these dreams can bring up motifs related to self confidence, ageing, physical appearance and more.
Dream About Teeth Falling Out
A teeth-dropping dream may really be a sign of worry, or it may symbolize the loss of stability in ones life, or the feeling that you have lost your safety net in yourself (in terms of the anchor that slipped away). That is why some authors say having a dream where teeth are falling out may be an indication of feeling as though one is losing control over ones waking life.
A tooth-dropping dream – or tooth-related trauma, for that matter – can definitely suggest a psychological tension over something going on in your waking life. In fact, some people say that the most common explanation for teeth falling out in a dream is that you are feeling uncertain about how you are looking.
Tooth Loss And Broken Teeth
Dreams about teeth falling out are interpreted by some as a sign that the dreamer is feeling uncertain about his or her current life situation. Dreams of a tooth being knocked out may be interpreted a number of ways, and not all of these interpretations are necessarily negative. Dreams of broken teeth can be an indication that someone has felt lonely, or has been lacking in the support of others in their lives.
Dreams of losing teeth may represent anything from stress or anxiety to an inferiority complex; from a fear of getting older to concerns over dental health.
Self Esteem Dream Themes
This dream could represent anything from major changes in your life to lack of self-esteem; from fear of growing older to problems with money; from symbolizing rebirth to regretting things you said. It may eventually represent taking greater control of your surroundings or others, or an increase in your level of trust, either in business situations or in a personal relationship.
Dreaming about this might suggest your inner self is experiencing some sort of distress, possibly related to worries of losing something such as a job or relationship. The dream could likely be indicative of your inability to keep things together in your life, or fears or anxieties you are struggling with.
Your dreams may be trying to tell you need to watch out for what comes out of your mouth, because once it is out, just like teeth, you cannot get it back. Wishing that you had not said something in real life might have taken on a dreamlike shape, where you are trying to ram a tooth back in. Some dream experts think losing teeth in a dream is a way your subconscious mind is telling you that there is something you should be saying aloud, but do not dare to in waking life.
Sleeping Consciousness And A Loose Tooth
Some interpretations claim that dreams of losing teeth are related to feeling underprepared or anxious about scenarios that will make you embarrassed. While many of the ideas behind teeth dreams are unsupported by science, they can nonetheless set us up to feel anxious or anxious should we experience a tooth-loss dream. While teeth dreams can indicate signs of ageing or losing viability, or indicating someone has neglected their teeth and is neglecting them, they may also symbolise change, renewal, or rebirth.
By looking at a broad group of individuals who reported experiencing teeth loss or fractures in their dreams, the new research found that there is a strong correlation between teeth-dropping dreams and real-world dental pain. What some researchers found is that while stressors and psychological discomfort may cause teeth to be ground down at night, there is no correlation between stress and dreams of teeth falling out. While one research study found no link between teeth dreams and psychological distress, an earlier study found college students who had teeth dreams felt more depression, anxiety, powerlessness, and loss of control.
Teeth Crumbling And Dental Irritation
Preliminary data suggests that teeth dreams might involve irritation of the teeth while sleeping, and might be more prevalent among those who are depressed or anxious. Here are some of the more common explanations for teeth dreams, a short symptom inventory, and why these generalized sleep disruptions are not just about teeth jitters or literal fears that your teeth will fall out. The TL-DR version is that these kinds of teeth dreams are most likely physical (such as teeth irritation) and least likely related to the discomfort experienced during ones wakeful day.
In other words, it is hard to explain why so many people have dreams, sometimes on a regular basis, about experiencing teeth falling out, breaking, or decaying — experiences which are not especially frequent in adult wake lives. While a dream about teeth decaying or falling out may be an upsetting experience, this is not what many people go through in waking life. This dream is a common one, and most people would be quite horrified at the idea of losing teeth all of a sudden. Dreaming of your teeth breaking suggests there is a lot of uncertainty and doubt inside you.
Common Interpretations
If you have been feeling awkward or inadequate lately, this may manifest itself as dreams related to teeth. It can symbolise more than just what you have eaten for lunch. Some dream analysts say having dreams in which you are picking something up that is stuck in your teeth may be a subconscious alert that you are getting too picky in your wake life.
Just as having teeth falling out dreams might signal you don’t like the way you look outside, they could also be signalling that you don’t like the way you are inside. If you are in the middle of doing something hard, and the teeth fall out, but aren’t the whole point of the dream, that can also relate to not only communication, but to actions youare having trouble doing in real life.
Scientific Research
Research has estimated that dreams about teeth falling out are among the most common dream motifs. Yu found in 2012 that around 39% of adults had experienced at least one dream about their teeth falling out.
Rozen and Soffer-Dubek (2018) found that teeth-falling dreams were related to dental discomfort when awakening, but not to self-reported teeth grinding. The present study tentatively suggests that sensations of tenseness of the individual teeth in sleep can be translated from dream consciousness into images of teeth decaying or falling out.
Some researchers have attempted to present empirical evidence of the psychological causes behind dreams about losing teeth. Whether you are feeling alarmed after an alarming tooth dream yourself, or simply curious as to why these types of dreams happen, it is important to know that teeth dreams probably do not signify anything severe.
References
Rozen, N., & Soffer-Dudek, N. (2018). Dreams of Teeth Falling Out: An Empirical Investigation of Physiological and Psychological Correlates. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1812. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.
Yu, C. K. C. (2012). Dream motif scale. Dreaming, 22(1), 18.