Dreams in which teeth break or fall out are a fairly common phenomenon. For many years, they have been interpreted in various ways. Some viewed it as a harbinger of loss of loved ones, while others associated the dreams with a subconscious fear of aging. Psychologists, however, approached this issue from a scientific perspective.
A group of Israeli psychologists from Ben-Gurion University decided to investigate the scientific reasons behind such night visions, as 39% of people have encountered situations where they dreamt of losing their teeth at least once.
To conduct the experiment, the researchers invited 210 volunteers aged 18 to 28. All participants filled out questionnaires indicating the themes of their dreams, their quality, reactions to the dreams (fear, stress), as well as sensations in the oral cavity (teeth grinding, painful tension) before waking up.
The analysis of the collected data demonstrated a significant correlation between dreams about teeth and physical sensations upon waking. People who dreamed of falling teeth were more likely to react to the tension they experienced in their teeth, gums, or jaws upon waking.
During the study, the researchers concluded that dreams related to tooth damage and loss have a physical basis. This finding challenges traditional views on such dreams, which were perceived as symbolic reflections of psychological issues, such as stress and emotional upheaval. The researchers reported their findings in an article published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
