The dreams we have can take many forms depending on our thoughts, preoccupations and anxieties, but one of the most common dreams we can have is about teeth crumbling or falling out. Indeed, 39% of Americans are thought to have had a similar dream at some point.
It is commonly thought that dreams like these are related to stress or anxiety – something reinforced by the fact that more teeth-related dreams have been reported during the covid pandemic.
However, finding the precise interpretation for such a dream is not always easy – so to help, in this post, we talk about the meaning of a teeth crumbling dream to give you more insight into what your dream meant.
Teeth Crumbling Dream – What do our teeth mean to us?
Before we can interpret dreams about crumbling, broken or missing teeth, first, we need to think about what our teeth represent to us – because the interpretation of a dream depends to a great extent on how the dreamer perceives the imagery of what they saw in the dream.
Everybody wants to have healthy, attractive teeth, and that’s because teeth are associated with health and well-being.
Having good teeth is also related to self-esteem, identity and confidence, so bad teeth or losing teeth can symbolize low self-esteem, a lack of identity or a loss of confidence.
For many people, having the perfect smile can be expensive since teeth are not always naturally perfectly straight and white. For this reason, teeth can represent wealth or financial stability – and for the same reason, they can even represent power or authority.
Finally, since animals use their teeth both in hunting and self-defense, teeth may represent our ability to survive, defend ourselves and provide food for ourselves and our families.
Crumbling teeth dream interpretations
Having looked at the associations we have with teeth and what they can symbolize to different people, now we can move on to thinking about some of the most common interpretations of dreams about crumbling teeth or losing our teeth.
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Loss of control
One of the most common ways to interpret a dream about our teeth crumbling is that it tells us we are afraid of losing control of our lives.
Nobody enjoys the feeling that events are out of their control and that they are just being swept along by whatever is taking place, and if we feel this is happening in our lives, we may have a dream of crumbling teeth.
It’s possible that in your waking life, you have a vague anxiety about your life beginning to spiral out of control, although it hasn’t yet become a fully conscious fear.
In this case, you should spend time analyzing your fears and anxieties to find out what is causing them.
You may discover that you are worried about a situation that is developing, but this dream is telling you that it isn’t too late to take control of the situation before it’s too late.
On the other hand, it could be that you have already lost control of your life and that you are feeling overwhelmed.
If this more accurately describes your situation, you should step back and consider what you can do to take back control.
For example, if your problems are related to alcohol, now might be the time to seek help or go to rehab. Alternatively, if you feel your relationship is breaking down, try talking to your partner rather than just letting things slip away.
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Life falling apart
A similar interpretation is that crumbling teeth in a dream can symbolize a feeling that your life is falling apart.
Perhaps several areas of your life seem to be unravelling at the same time. For example, you might think your relationship is going through a bad patch, you are not doing well at work, your health is suffering and you are feeling isolated from your friends.
In such a situation, just sitting and worrying about things won’t help, so you need to be more proactive in getting things back on track.
What concrete actions can you take to fix your life in all the different areas where things feel so negative?
Now could be the time for a reset when you draw a line in the sand, stop thinking negatively and start acting more positively. And when you do that, you may be surprised by how quickly things can turn around.
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Anxiety or pressure
Crumbling teeth in a dream may be a manifestation of the anxieties or pressures you are feeling in your life.
Sometimes we can convince ourselves that we are strong enough to manage everything, so we refuse to seek help from our friends. Except when we do this, after a time, our responsibilities can quickly build up, and before we know it, we feel like they are burying us.
If you have a dream like this, it’s important to step back and analyze your life to see where the pressure or anxiety is coming from.
Then, once you are more fully aware of what is on your mind, you will be more able to make rational decisions about what you can change to improve the situation, perhaps by sharing some of your responsibilities with others.
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Loss of identity or self-esteem
Our teeth are inextricably linked to our sense of identity and self-esteem, and losing our teeth in real life would be a big knock to our confidence.
For this reason, losing our teeth in a dream can also symbolize a loss of identity or self-esteem – in a way that’s unrelated to our teeth.
Have you recently been snubbed by someone? Perhaps you asked someone on a date, and they refused. Or was it something at work? Maybe somebody else got promoted to a position you thought you would be given.
When we suffer these kinds of setbacks in our life, it’s natural that our self-esteem and confidence can suffer – and a dream about our teeth crumbling can be the result.
However, it’s important to remember our strengths and positive qualities, and we shouldn’t dwell on these kinds of setbacks. Keep a positive attitude and remember to take good care of your physical and mental health – and good things will come to you in the future.
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Weakness
Since teeth can represent power – in the sense of authority or the sense of animal strength – crumbling teeth in a dream could represent a feeling of weakness.
Try to analyze what could be causing these feelings because once you know why you are feeling like this, it will be easier to find ways to regain your strength and potency.
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Personal loss
Losing a tooth or all of your teeth in a dream can sometimes be related to personal loss. Could it be the end of a relationship? Or did you get fired at work? Or perhaps a loved-one passed away.
This dream could be telling you that the loss has caused you anguish and that the emotions haven’t been fully processed yet – so you should find a way to sort through your feelings, perhaps by talking about what happened with a close friend.
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Regret
Tooth loss in a dream can be an indication that there’s something in your life that you regret.
Regret is a feeling everybody knows at some point in their life, and if you are harboring his emotion, you should face it, accept it and learn from it so that in the future, you don’t make similar mistakes.
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A missed opportunity
Similarly, losing teeth could represent a missed opportunity. This may also cause us regret, and the best thing to do in this situation is to learn from the experience so that when another opportunity arrives, you don’t let it pass you by.
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Financial loss
Good teeth can be seen as representing financial security, but crumbling teeth can be a sign of poverty or the fear of it.
This means if you dream of crumbling teeth, you should think about your financial situation and consider whether you are taking too many risks with your money.
Perhaps you might need to tighten your purse strings and live more within your means if you are becoming too spendthrift. Alternatively, perhaps it’s time to start looking for a better-paid job if you don’t think your income is sufficient for your lifestyle.
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Communication problems
Some people believe that dreams about crumbling teeth represent problems in communication, and this is easy to understand since everything to do with your face, mouth and eyes is used when we communicate with others..
Have you been communicating poorly recently? Or perhaps you have fallen out with somebody due to a miscommunication.
Consider possible interpretations such as these – and if you realize this is what your dream was about, you can take steps to improve matters.
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Poor dental health
Sometimes, having your teeth fall out or crumble in your dream can be related to your teeth in a more literal sense.
It could simply be that you are worried about your dental health since it’s been so long since you went to see a dentist – in which case, the obvious solution is to get on the phone and book your next appointment!
A dream commonly related to stress or loss of confidence
Dreams about teeth are usually related to stress, anxiety, a loss of confidence or a lack of self-esteem, so to interpret a dream of your teeth crumbling, you should try to understand how this applies to your current life situation and the stresses and worries you are facing.
Then, by following your instinct and your intuition, you will be guided to the correct interpretation of what you saw in your dream.