Why People Dream About Their Teeth Falling Out

It’s a common dream theme and not just for teeth-obsessed Americans

Ashley Laderer
Elemental

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Illustration: Shuhua Xiong

It happens all the time.

I’m eating and all of a sudden something doesn’t feel right. While I’m chewing, a tooth falls out. Sometimes, even a few teeth are gone. I run to the nearest mirror, and when I see my reflection, I’m horrified by the semi-toothless version of myself staring back at me. And then I wake up.

Every time I have this dream, my heart races and I have to run my tongue along the surfaces of my teeth, top and bottom, making sure they’re all there. Only after I confirm my teeth are intact can I fall back asleep.

I’m not the only one having these unpleasant dental dreams. In fact, it’s a relatively common dream theme and not just for teeth-obsessed Americans. For example, a 2008 study conducted in China found that 49.4% of participants had experienced a teeth-falling-out dream, and a 2003 Canadian study found that 18.8% had experienced one.

A quick Google search for “What does it mean if I dream that my teeth are falling out?” will direct you to countless different interpretations and explanations of this “dream symbol.” According to one website, my teeth dreams can mean I’m insecure, I’m lying to people, I’m experiencing financial…

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