Teeth Tooth

Dreams about teeth falling out – If single tooth – Bad tooth – Big or small teeth – Canines – Clenched teeth – Dirty teeth – Dracula type teeth – False teeth – Finding a tooth – Having teeth attended to – If crowns falling out or injured – No teeth – Spitting out lots of teeth – Swallowing teeth – Teeth falling out – Tooth being pulled out – Toothless – Woman swallowing teeth

There are a great many associations we might have with teeth, so the environment and surrounding events in the dream must be taken as pointers.

Teeth can represent your bite, effectiveness or power in life. They may represent biting remarks, hurtful words. They are your ability to ‘chew’ over things, meaning to consider and think about, almost to get a taste or try to experience what you are considering.

As examples we might think of teeth or lack of them as indicating age. You might associate teeth with acute pain, as with toothache or dentistry. Because we lose our teeth while young and grow new ones, we might also use teeth in a dream to show change from one period of life to another, suggested by such idioms as long in the tooth, milk teeth, etc. In some dreams we dream of a tooth problem indicating infection, even infection in an ear. See: Example under ache.

In general teeth in our dream can depict aggression or defensiveness, as when we bite someone. They can suggest the ability to ‘chew things over’. In some dreams they indicate our ‘bite’ on life, or the ability to get what we want. For instance if we see someone with few or no teeth, it often arouses a feeling that the person has lost their effectiveness in life, their social power – they have ‘lost it’. This may be exactly what we are portraying in losing our own teeth in a dream – the feeling, even temporary, of ‘losing it’. This may be felt as the sense of not being able to get what one deeply wants, and so is experienced as a sort of death, or a loss of self in some degree. But other meanings for tooth loss or falling out are given below.

Teeth can depict words we say or swallow – perhaps things we wish had not come out of our mouth. One of the biggest associations for many of us is how our teeth depict our social appearance – how others see us.

In some cultures the loss of a tooth often depicted the death of a family member. But when we lose a tooth we are very aware of the emptiness in our mouth – very aware of the loss. This is why a lost tooth can link with the loss of a family member. But it can equally apply to what we feel when a relationship ends or ‘goes bad’. The following example shows this. Also see: Example 2 below

Example: I dream the front left tooth on the top of my mouth had fallen out, root and all. I was appalled as I looked at it lying in my hand!! I immediately called my godmother, asking her to bring me a new tooth. While waiting for her, my tongue explored the hole that was left; it hurt, but was beginning to heal. When my godmother arrived, she had forgotten the new tooth, and suggested that we put the old one back in. I was reluctant, as putting the old tooth in would hurt more than letting the hole heal; however, she was very insistent. As we examined the old tooth, I noticed a black spot on the root, and when I poked the decaying spot, it crumbled inwards. Christine.

Christine’s description of the pain connected with the loss of the tooth, her reluctance to have the old one put back in, and the black spot on the tooth, can easily be seen as descriptions of a relationship that needed to be ended, but was nevertheless painful to lose.

Im Tofeeq, a Palestinian woman told me that among the Arabs it is believed that if you dream of losing teeth it means your brother or son is in trouble. She had a dream in which three of her teeth fell out. The next day she received a call from America to say her son had been shot in the head three times by a gunman. For Artemidorus losing a tooth meant to lose a member of one’s household. To Africans such a dream showed that the dreamer would lose a wife or child.

Such feelings about teeth are also reflected in a few dreams of modern Europeans, as in the following example.

Example: My dream of someone’s coming death was so simple, always the same. I would dream that I went to my dressing table and opening my mouth examined my teeth in the mirror. I always found a decayed tooth (I had very fine teeth at that time) which I picked out and laid on the table. If a river of blood flowed from the tooth I knew when I awoke that I would suffer agonies from the coming death; if it did not bleed, I knew the person about to die would be someone outside my immediate family, but always a relative. If the tooth was a front one the person concerned would be young, if a back tooth it would represent an old person.

My mother told me that a great grandmother of mine had the very same dreams with the same results, but I did not learn this till I was nineteen and my dream foretold the death of a younger sister, who was in perfect health at the time of the dream. I never knew after the dream who was to die as the dream always came well in advance of sickness. I used to think some malign spirit wanted to torment me and took this way to do so.’ Quoted from The Mystery of Dreams by William Oliver Stevens.

But here is another view of falling teeth.

The night before last I dreamt that several of my capped/crowned teeth had broken or fallen out. The dreamer then explored his own associations as follows: “I have recently just been to the dentist, and not only is it time consuming, but also it is expensive. So my thoughts while semi conscious were something like – “Oh no, not another visit needed to the dentist!” But in writing this I have realised another association. During my last visit I sat near a very attractive young woman who was obviously restless and probably in pain. It took me ages to gain enough courage to speak to her. I asked her if she had been waiting long. We then got into easy and interesting conversation. I couldn’t help wishing that I had a woman in my life like her. And afterwards thoughts about her have arisen fairly often.

Therefore I wonder if the dream is almost a statement saying, “Look, there is something urgent here that needs attention. Something is missing from you and it needs addressing – a relationship with an attractive woman.”

Dreams about teeth falling out:

Often means a sense of loss, such as death of family member or loved one; the ageing process as it relates to maturity, so worries about getting older and one’s changing image. When our first teeth fall out at around seven, it is probably our initial experience of losing something from our body, something weird happening – we might even fear other bits of us could drop off or out.

 If single tooth: This may suggest loss, change, or death of someone.

There are a great many associations we might have with teeth, so the environment and surrounding events in the dream must be taken as pointers.

As examples we might think of teeth or lack of them as indicating age. You might associate teeth with acute pain, as with toothache or dentistry. Because you lose your teeth while young and grow new ones, you might also use teeth in a dream to show change from one period of life to another, suggested by such idioms as long in the tooth, milk teeth, etc. In some dreams we have a tooth problem indicating infection, even infection in an ear.

In general teeth in your dream can depict aggression or defensiveness, as when we bite someone. They can suggest the ability to ‘chew things over’. In some dreams they indicate your ‘bite’ on life, or the ability to get what you want. For instance if we see someone with few or no teeth, it often arouses a feeling that the person has lost their effectiveness in life, their social power – they have ‘lost it’. This may be exactly what you are portraying in losing your own teeth in a dream – the feeling, even temporary, of ‘losing it’. This may be felt as the sense of not being able to get what you deeply want. But other meanings for tooth loss or falling out are given below.

Teeth can depict words we say or swallow – perhaps things we wish had not come out of our mouth. One of the biggest associations for many of us is how our teeth depict our social appearance – how others see us.

In some cultures the loss of a tooth often depicted the death of a family member. But when we lose a tooth we are very aware of the emptiness in our mouth – very aware of the loss.

Idioms: a sweet tooth; a tooth for a tooth; armed to the teeth; by the skin of ones teeth; cut my teeth on; fight tooth and nail; get one’s teeth into; gnash one’s teeth; give my eye teeth; grit one’s teeth; long in the tooth; teething troubles; milk teeth; scarce as hen’s teeth; set my teeth on edge; show one’s teeth.

Useful questions:

If I am losing teeth, what am I losing or feeling loss about in waking?

Am I meeting anything to do with my social appearance or self image?

Does something need attending to in my life?

What is coming out of my mouth in conversations – or what am I swallowing and not expressing?

Baby tooth or teeth: It is a sign or development, a step toward becoming an adult. We are often not fully adult even though our age says otherwise. See Ages of Love.

It can also show the person moving through a big change toward a more mature way of dealing with life.

  Bad tooth: A painful or rotten part of your feelings, life or relationships; angry or regretful words. It might also of course suggest a problem with that tooth.

  Big or small teeth: Big teeth suggest strength, power, or ability to harm, depending on dream. Especially in animal dreams it tends to show fear of being hurt or of aggression. Small teeth show the opposite, except that in a few dreams the small teeth belong to a snake or are poisonous in some way, suggesting something or someone putting emotionally damaging feelings in you – perhaps through ‘biting’ remarks.

Canines: The canines are what are left of larger teeth our ancestors used to defend themselves or warn off attackers. So the canine would particularly indicate your ability to defend yourself, or be powerful in the world – particularly for men. Losing a canine or canines might indicate that at times you feel more vulnerable or less confident. This might be accompanied by greater feelings of vulnerability. There might be some painful experience underlying such feelings.

  Clenched teeth: This usually show an enormous amount of tension, but we also grit or grind our teeth when holding back great physical or emotional pain, anger or despair.

Dirty teeth: Similar to the poisonous teeth. The dirt suggest there is perhaps some sort of attitude that is obvious to others as you speak, and might also be influencing your body, or be injected by a bite.

Dracula type teeth: Similar to ‘dirty teeth’ or ‘big teeth’. But the Dracula type teeth indicate that you are being injected and thereby influenced by someone else’s subtle drive to control you or poison your feelings or mind. If you have the Dracula teeth, you need to ask yourself if you are trying to negatively influence someone else or using them like a parasite.

 Finding a tooth: It could mean finding a part of you that was lost or memories of yourself at the age when we lost our teeth. Maybe even memories of a dead friend.

Having teeth attended to: Something that needs attention in your life that you might be putting off or delaying. It might link with pain you feel about something, or even be about an actual infection or decay. There might be a link with either your social appearance, your ability to deal with life effectively, or maintaining appearances.

No teeth: If this is an animal dream, it indicates harmlessness. If it refers to yourself or a human, it might also suggest harmlessness, but with the sense of lacking power and your ability to defend yourself, to get what you want from the world in the sense of biting off food, and also of course your social appearance – how you feel others see you. If you imagine yourself with no teeth, what in fact do you feel?

Spitting out lots of teeth: Something you want to ‘spit out’ in the sense of admitting, saying, or expressing something emotionally. But also perhaps the same as teeth falling out.

Swallowing teeth: See: Woman swallowing teeth.

  Teeth falling out: If all your teeth are falling out it often links with feelings to do with ageing and loss of your good looks. Sometimes the feelings are acute enough to link with fear of death, even in young people. But this deals also with the feelings to do with loss of power, loss of ability to express. One dreamer says she dreams this when she feels she is not being understood, or being effective, or feels unable to communicate.

Ann Faraday, in her book Dream Power, says:

Example: At the time of my final marriage break-up, I had recurring dreams of losing teeth, appearing at a rich friend’s house wrapped only in an old blanket, and wandering grey streets full of old shambling figures. I used to awake in the mornings with a dull, heavy feeling of disintegration so that I could hardly get up. It was clear I felt old, unattractive and finished in spite of the fact that I was young and in excellent health.

Example: ‘I felt a tooth was loose and started pushing it with my tongue. Then I took hold of it between thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. I felt okay about this, but then another tooth was loose, and another, and I pulled them out. Running to the bathroom I looked into the mirror, horrified and frightened. All my teeth were coming out. Not knowing how to deal with this I ran to my mother, showing her my mouth, empty now except for two teeth. My mother appeared not to see my lack of teeth, or notice my fear.’ Eve.

Eve was 18 at the time of the dream. She explored it and found a fear of ageing and death. But this can also depict apprehension about maturing and facing independence and responsibility.

  If crowns falling out or injured: This may relate to a sense of urgency that something has to be attended to.

Tooth being pulled out: Jung felt this dream represents giving birth if dreamt by a woman. In general it probably has associations with loss or painful loss, a difficult parting in a relationship, or loss of something that has been badly influencing your emotional and perhaps even physical health.

Toothless: Loss of effectiveness and or feelings about ageing.

Woman swallowing teeth: The throat and Eustachian tubes have a similar shape to the uterus and fallopian tubes, so can depict conception or fear of it. In ancient cultures, a tooth was extracted and swallowed as part of a death and rebirth symbol. This may have arisen from the observation of losing ones baby teeth and the growth of new teeth, suggesting the power of renewal. Swallowing teeth might also suggest ‘swallowing ones words’.

  False teeth: Loss of youth and its power and opportunities, as with the ageing process and loss of good looks. Perhaps it suggests lies told or false appearances. Assumed social power and appearance, or not keeping spoken promises.

Idioms: a sweet tooth; a tooth for a tooth; armed to the teeth; by the skin of ones teeth; cut my teeth on; fight tooth and nail; get one’s teeth into; gnash one’s teeth; give my eye teeth; grit one’s teeth; long in the tooth; teething troubles; milk teeth; scarce as hen’s teeth; set my teeth on edge; show one’s teeth.

Useful Questions and Hints:

If I am losing teeth, what am I losing or feeling loss about in waking?

Am I meeting anything to do with my social appearance or self image?

Does something need attending to in my life?

What is coming out of my mouth in conversations – or what am I swallowing and not expressing?

It might help if you Use the body to discover dream power or Characters and People in Dreams