There are several different theories behind the causes of this dream. You can have the dream at various times in your life and have it mean something different each time. It all depends on your circumstances.
Studies have shown that 39% of people surveyed have had a dream about teeth falling out. Though the dream is common, the cause of it and the meaning behind it varies greatly. Different people can have similar dreams depending on their life situations.
There are many types of dreams and oftentimes, dreams are symbolism for the emotions you’re feeling subconsciously. A dream rarely means anything if you play it back in your mind. But if you dig in and start analyzing the symbolism, you might find that it’s telling you something. This realization could be a fact or emotion you’ve suppressed about yourself.
Read on to see if any of the common reasons behind the teeth falling out dream apply to your situation.
Personal Loss
One of the explanations behind dreaming of losing your teeth is personal loss. Losing your teeth is a major loss, so you’re going to feel grief during this dream. You might worry about how you’ll cope and what comes next.
If this reason resonates with you, stop and think about your life lately. Is there something you’ve lost in real life? It might be a person, either to death, a move, or changes in relationships. It could be the loss of possessions, like having your wallet stolen or losing a ring down the drain. You could lose a job, a pair of headphones, or a digital file. The options are endless.
You’ll know this is the cause of your dream if you can think of something you’ve lost recently. You might not realize how it’s impacted you. Maybe you haven’t given yourself the time or space to grieve the loss, however severe or minor it may seem.
Personal Growth
A positive spin on the teeth falling out dream meaning is personal growth. The dream symbolizes that what’s old is gone and has made room for something new.
This can also mean that there are major changes ahead, but there’s no reason to feel worried about them. Instead, you should feel excited that your life is going to change.
In the dream, you lose your old teeth. You might feel alarmed by the loss, but it can be a good thing, too. You now have space in your life (or your mouth, as it may seem in your dream) for something new.
Depression
Depression makes you feel hopeless. You might have low self-esteem when you’re depressed. This feeling can present itself in dreams in ways that make you feel even more down on yourself.
When you lose all your teeth, you look physically different. You also feel hopeless because you don’t have the parts necessary to eat food and nourish your body.
If you’re depressed and have this type of dream, you might want to talk about it with your doctor or therapist. Talking about your dreams can help you understand your depression. Hearing about these subconscious thoughts could help your doctor find other treatments to make you feel better.
Stress and Anxiety
Everyone gets stressed, so it’s no surprise that this feeling would manifest itself in your dreams. Losing your teeth is a stressful situation, so your body is taking the feeling of stress and pairing it with a visual.
Anxiety is another common feeling, though it’s usually more long-term than stress. Anxiety can include insecurities, and losing your teeth makes you feel insecure. When you’re anxious, you worry about things to an exaggerated degree—and your teeth falling out is an extreme condition.
Poor Self-Care
Self-care greatly impacts your quality of sleep. If you’re not eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, and enjoying your free time, then you’re not practicing good self-care.
You need to prioritize your overall health and well-being, or else the lack of care and calmness in your life can appear as this disturbing dream. Try taking a walk around the neighborhood after dinner, relaxing in a warm bath, and making sure you go to bed in time to get a full night’s sleep. When you start taking care of yourself, you’ll have better dreams and feel good all day.
Dental Issues
Losing teeth in dreams could be a subconscious reflection of real-life dental issues. You might have this dream the night before or after a dentist visit. If you have a toothache, the pain could present itself in the dream as losing your teeth.
People who have experienced teeth breaking or falling out as an adult are likely to have this dream. It can feel traumatic to hurt or lose a tooth, so the memory sticks in your subconscious and comes out in dreams.
Some of the causes on this list, like stress and anxiety, can lead to dental problems. If you’re anxious, you might grind your teeth due to worry. Grinding your teeth while you sleep could also cause you to dream about your teeth because your body feels the pressure. Teeth grinding can heighten the worry about your teeth falling out because you know you’re wearing them down.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve ever wondered, “why do I dream about my teeth falling out?” then this article should have answered your questions. Dream interpretation can get very personal, but knowing these common reasons to investigate gives you a place to start.
Whether you’re on the cusp of a major change or mourning a personal loss, you might dream about teeth falling out. Once you find a possible root cause, you can delve deeper into your life and try to understand your subconscious. Freud asked patients to say whatever comes to mind when he mentioned elements from their dreams, so you can try that here, too.
We hope this article helped you realize something new about yourself!
