Loss of teeth in dreams symbolizing fear of aging.

Abstract

In 1956 the writer presented fear of growing old as symbolized in loss of teeth in dreams. The patients felt time was passing without overt evidence of accomplishment of which they believed themselves capable and acmal accomplishment that failed in their opinion to match potential. Much of their anxiety during the dreams often continued on awaking. In 1961 Ward, Beck, and Rascoe covered the literature on typical dreams. One of 17 categories involved something happening to your teeth. Of many meanings ascribed to it, only this writer's paper was listed for fear of growing old. He has encountered this interpretation since then and the most recent example is now given to re-enforce the finding and call it to the attention of others. A 30-yr.-old man dreamed two of his teeth fell out. He caught them in his hand, looked at them, and gave thought to replacing them. He awoke feeling as if he was still about to reinsert them. He felt anxious during the dream and more so afterwards. One tooth was a molar and the other a partial The patient felt he was dissipating his youth in meaningless work activity and tried to counter its loss through considerable athletic involvements. But he saw the young more suited to this and the middle-aged looking pathetic trying to deny or ward off declining years. He had mixed feelings about using his considerable intelligence as fully as possible and, in fact, avoided doing so. He was bored with his sexual partner, felt time was going by, and was always concerned about insufficient or unfulfilled sexual outlets, especially with very young women. He was concerned about declining sexual interest. Precipitating factors for his dream were pain requiring his sexual partner to seek dental help and a sexual experience with someone else which he regarded as degrading. His personal, sexual, and occupational discontent gave him the feeling of aging rapidly. Loss of the molar may have represented loss of strength and stabiliry. The partial shell referred to his half-filled tooth which he considered to be essentially a shell. It reflected, he said, his feeling about himself. More than one meaning may be attributed to a dream. In addition to its representation of his fear of growing old, he believed it indicated castration anxiety and reflected personaliry disintegration. All three themes are consistent with his concerns at the time of the dream. It is well known that body parts and functioning have psychological significance beyond their anatomical importance and physiological relevance in health and disease. The meanings of teeth and their injury or loss have long attracted attention, but fear of aging as symbolized in their loss in dreams is re-enforced here because of absence of references to this theme in psychological literature.