Why Your Teeth Fall Out in Your Dream

The dream:

You frown.

There’s an odd feeling in your mouth that causes a sense of rising panic.

Swallowing hard, you stand and make your way with growing trepidation to the bathroom, where you lean on the sink. You take a deep breath and raise your head to look in the mirror. You slowly open your mouth and reach in. To your horror, you easily dislodge a tooth, which clatters into the basin, rattling around.

Against your instincts, sometimes against every fibre of your being, you reach in again.

Another tooth lands noisily with the first.

Soon, you’re frantically pulling at tooth after tooth, your eyes widening, your heart thumping in your chest as one after another pulls free.

Then, you wake up and, with a sigh of relief, check to find your teeth are all in check.

Still, it’s only a dream – right?

Meanings behind dreams of teeth falling out

Dreaming of teeth falling out can be a sign of anxiety, worries, and inner stress. It may reflect feelings of losing control or concerns about a situation in your life, highlighting underlying fears and uncertainties that need to be addressed.

Historically, this dream is particularly potent and has intriguing interpretations. It can be traced back to Artemidorus’ Oneirocritica (The Interpretation of Dreams), written in the second century AD. Although the dream dates back at least that far, interpretations have evolved significantly.

Artemidorus, for instance, believed that Oneiromancy (the practice of using dreams to foretell the future) could be considered a science, a belief also mentioned in the Talmud. He even provided a specific manual outlining potential losses that might follow from dreaming of losing teeth.

As part of our research, we uncovered the following chart in The Appendix, which applies meaning to each tooth:

A chart of teeth, showing the different meanings behind them in dreams.

While it’s unlikely that dreams can offer glimpses of the future, there is evidence to suggest that dreams can be a hidden sign of physiological distress.

Psychologists Naama Rozen and Nirit Soffer-Dudek wanted to uncover why so many people dream about teeth. Their sample of 120 students uncovered a correlation between dreams about losing teeth and teeth irritation. Students who reported that their teeth felt tender after waking also had dreams about their teeth falling out. The sample was also asked to assess other common dreams, such as falling, but there was no correlation between these dreams and teeth tension.

This evidence supports the theory that physiological stimuli and dream production are linked. However, the sample was very small in confirming the correlation, and many theories still exist for having teeth dreams.

Some other examples include:

Freudian:

In Freudian dream analysis, dreams are expressions of unconscious desires, conflicts, and repressed thoughts. The Freudian interpretation of teeth falling out in dreams is often linked to sex-related stressors, uncertainties, repression, and fears.

Jungian:

In Jungian dream analysis, dreams are seen as symbolic representations of our unconscious thoughts. Interestingly, Jungian theory suggests that dreaming of teeth falling out indicates entering a new phase of life, whether through transformation, renewal, life upheaval, or ageing.

Reiki:

Reiki and meditation can also provide insight into this dream. Because the teeth are located in the fifth chakra of communication, the dream can be about what you are not saying, what you didn’t say in the past, or what you need to say.

Variations of dreams about teeth:

Variations of this particular dream tend to be limited to the manner and number of teeth the dreamer loses. Some people will lose a single tooth, whilst others will lose them in a particular way. They can rot, shatter or simply fall out. They can be your teeth or those of someone you know, but – as with many cross-cultural dreams – vivid dreams about losing teeth come in many different forms. But is there a meaning to this type of dream?

The different takes on dreams about teeth falling out:

As it’s one of the most common dreams, there are many interpretations of the dream. Often, dreaming about teeth falling out is about losing something valuable. Other readings suggest anxiety, stress, or simply ageing are the reasons for having this kind of dream. Here are a few common beliefs about dreams where your teeth fall out…

1. Loss

While not prophetic, dreaming of teeth falling out is often interpreted as indicative of grief and loss of something significant to a person who is literally (in the dream) and figuratively (while awake) losing a part of themselves.

2. Anxiety and stress

Whether acknowledged during daylight hours, dreams of tooth loss can indicate a person’s suffering from intense stress or anxiety.

3. Disempowerment or loss of control

Here the teeth represent a more animalistic source of power, and their loss can be interpreted as a feeling of powerlessness in the face of a challenge.

4. Ageing

Unsurprisingly, a common interpretation is that tooth loss in dreams represents a fear of growing old. As we age, we face decay, and losing a tooth is a potent symbol. The dream may simply be projecting part of that fear of becoming older than before, something that we all need to accept.

Answering the dream:

The follow-up question to a dream interpretation is often, “What should I do?” and there’s no single answer. While we can leave it to the ages to determine whether dreams can teach us, predict the future, or even tackle Leonardo DiCaprio, one thing is clear: they are an invitation to self-analysis.

Whether we’re dealing with complex emotions, facing fears, grieving losses, or experiencing tooth pain, a recurring or particularly vivid dream that troubles you should be examined. There’s value in reflecting on these dreams, considering thousands of years of dream analysis. Have you experienced a loss? Are you anxious or feeling powerless? Address those emotions—whether through therapy or meditation—face up to the issue, and work to overcome it.

Like teeth falling out, dreaming of your hair falling out has similar meanings. Learn more about other anxiety-inducing dreams like dreaming about being chased or dreams about being late.