At some point in your life, you’ve probably woken up from a dream with the feeling that it was actually real – in fact, the dream itself may have been so vivid that it was what woke you up! The dream world is fascinating – and can be so realistic that the images, situations or feelings we experience during sleep stay with us all morning, or longer. They can sometimes be more like nightmares, especially some scary recurrent dreams, like one of the most common: dreaming that you’ve suddenly lost a tooth or, even that all of your teeth have fallen out. Yikes! Yes, it’s disturbing, but does that dream have a deeper meaning?
According to studies, including one by the U.S. Library of Medicine, dreams about teeth – whether they’re falling out or rotting – are “one of the most universal dream themes”. But why do we dream that our teeth are falling out and what does it symbolise?
What does it mean when you dream that your teeth are falling out?
Psychologist Marc Rodríguez, who specialises in emotional intelligence, explains that dreaming of teeth falling out is “one of the most common recurrent dreams and can have several meanings according to psychology and dream interpretation”.
There are multiple explanations of what losing our teeth symbolises, often having to do with self-esteem. Psychologist and dream expert Ian Wallace, has explained that this type of dream “represents a real-life situation in which we feel a loss of confidence in defending our position”. Other interpretations have to do with feeling like you’re ageing or losing your looks – a bit more of a direct connection to aesthetics and how we are currently seeing ourselves, or we think others see us.
Rodriguez says that, while there is no single explanation there are some common ones and offers some of the most typical interpretations. If you’ve dreamt that you lost your teeth, do any of these resonate?
- Anxiety and stress: The feeling of your teeth falling out can reflect a loss of control in daily life. For example, are you feeling stressed at work? Are you uncertain about the future?
- Fear of growing old: Teeth are associated with appearance and physical health. Are you middle-aged, or concerned about ageing? Have you been going through physical changes that you’re uncomfortable with?
- Feelings of insecurity: This type of dream can also reflect that you have a low sense of self-esteem.
- Loss and life changes: Dreaming of teeth falling out could symbolise some kind of loss or significant change. Have you recently experienced the end of a relationship or loss of a loved one? Have you changed jobs or had any other transitions in your life?
- Inability to communicate: Teeth, and other aspects related to the mouth, are associated with the ability to communicate. Do you feel like you’ve had difficulties in saying what you think lately? Do you feel unable to express your true emotions?
© Getty ImagesWhy do we dream?
“Presenting just one theory about why we dream would be risky, because the reality is that we still don’t fully understand it,” says the expert. He summarises the multiple theories that could be behind dreaming:
- Information processing theory: According to this theory, dreams help the brain process and organise information and the experiences of the day. Dreaming while we sleep is when memories are consolidated, and we filter out what is relevant, or not.
- Psychoanalytic theory: Sigmund Freud proposed that dreams are a way to express repressed desires and internal conflicts. Dreams, then, have symbolic meanings and are a way of exploring our subconscious.
- Evolutionary theory: Many researchers believe that dreaming has an evolutionary purpose, such as simulating dangerous situations so that we are better prepared to face them in real life.
- Activation-synthesis theory: Dreams are the result of random brain activity that occurs during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of sleep, and the brain is simply trying to make sense of it by generating a coherent story.
“Recurring dreams are a way for our subconscious to try to draw our attention to a real-life problem or conflict that needs to be addressed”
Why do we have recurrent dreams?
Recurring dreams usually occur “when a person faces unresolved situations, intense emotions or persistent worries in their life,” explains Rodriguez. “It’s a way for our subconscious to try to draw our attention to a real-life problem or conflict that needs to be addressed.”
The brain may be repeating the same dream to let you know that there’s something on your mind that hasn’t been completely processed or resolved. “If you’re going through a period of a lot of stress or important changes, it’s possible that you may be having recurrent dreams related to these emotions or situations,” says the psychologist.
“Recurrent dreams can also be a way of processing trauma or a difficult experience, helping your mind come to terms with it or help it make sense.”
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